Hell Is For Children
by Angel Weasel-Woman
Summary: Naruto's mind finally breaks after a traumatic event, and he flees his home village, only to come upon a land where alchemy reigns supreme. Can he ever return to normal, or is the stress of that one night going to haunt him forever? Xover with Naruto
1. Homecoming

They cry in the dark, so you can't see their tears  
They hide in the light, so you can't see their fears  
Forgive and forget, all the while  
Love and pain become one and the same  
In the eyes of a wounded child  
Because Hell  
Hell Is For Children  
And you know that their little lives can become such a mess  
Hell  
Hell Is For Children  
And you shouldn't have to pay for your love with your bones and your flesh  
-- Pat Benatar, Hell Is For Children

* * *

Naruto sighed happily over his bowl of ramen. It had been _ages_ since he and Jiraiya had stopped and found a good place, but none were as good as Ichiraku. 'I guess there's no place like home after all…'

He and the Sannin had been traveling for near three years now, ever since that fateful day when Sasuke abandoned the village. Naruto had chased the boy down before Sasuke could reach the Sound and had forcibly dragged him back to Konoha. He could still recall Sakura's teary face as he and Jiraiya set out almost the next day, demanding to know why he was leaving before Sasuke even woke up.

_"I have to, Sakura-chan… If I'm not strong enough to stop Sasuke from leaving, how am I ever going to be strong enough to protect this village? Don't cry, Sakura-chan, I'll be back. A Hokage never abandons his village, after all."_

'Ero-sennin should be done with Tsunade-baba's report by now. I wonder what's keeping him? He'd better keep his promise on finding out if Tsunade-baba kept my apartment…'

Slurping down the last of his noodles, he stood and paid for his meal with a grin.

"Thanks, ojisan. It's been a while since I've had anything as good as this."

"Maa, it's been a while since we've had such an appreciative customer. It's good to have you back, Naruto."

"It's good to be back."

Naruto waved over his shoulder as he left the stand.

'It really is good to be back,' he thought as he began to wander the familiar streets. Placing his hands behind his head, he was about to head off to see if "their" bridge was still there when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Naruto?"

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto blinked and then beamed.

"Sakura-chan!"

The young woman had changed in the past years, but the light in her eyes and joy in her stance had stayed the same.

"Naruto! It is you!" She rushed over to greet him, wrapping her arms about him before she could stop herself. "I can't believe it!"

"Maa, Sakura-chan…" He wrapped his arms about her and gave her a squeeze. "I told you I'd be back."

The pink-haired girl pulled away, a watery smile curving her lips. "How long have you been here?"

"I just got back with Ero-sennin." He smiled gently at her. "How are you? What's happened since I've been gone?"

She clapped her hands together. "Oh, Naruto, you wouldn't believe it! You just have to meet up with everyone!" She paused in thought for a moment. "I know! I can get everyone together for a 'Welcome Home' party – how's that?"

"That would be great, Sakura-chan."

"Great. Let me just get everyone together and then you can come over to my place tonight." She have him another hug. "Drop by at about five, all right? You'd better be there, Naruto!"

Naruto gave her a lopsided grin as she began to rush off to find the others. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

Having moved out of her parents' house when she became Tsunade's apprentice, Sakura had bought a simple place next to the hospital so that she could easily be on-call whenever there was an emergency. Now, as she surveyed the large amount of once-gennin (and even larger dog) that were all celebrating Naruto's return, she began to wish that she had gotten something a bit larger. 

"Oi, Sakura," Kiba called from his vantage point on Akamaru's back. "When did you say Naruto was getting here?"

"I told him to stop by at five…" Sakura placed a finger to her lips as she glanced at the clock that showed ten after five. Jiraiya hadn't dragged Naruto off without letting him tell anyone, right? The doorbell rang and she hurried over to answer it. Pulling open the door, she revealed a bewildered looking Naruto.

"You didn't tell me that you'd moved, Sakura-chan…" he whined before squawking as she hugged him suddenly.

"I'm sorry. I must have forgotten," she murmured, relief evident in her voice. 'He's still here…' She pulled back and grabbed hold of his wrists, dragging him inside the house and into the living room.

Naruto blinked as he saw each of the rookie nine as well as Gai's team all crowded in Sakura's living room.

"Naruto-niisan!"

Naruto turned just in time for Konohamaru to slam into his side, hugging him almost as hard as Sakura had.

"You're back, niisan! You're back!"

There were other joyous shouts as the other ninja turned to welcome him, and Kiba even leapt off Akamaru's back (was that really Akamaru? He was as big as a house!) to crow about wanting a sparring match some time soon to show off all his new moves.

As chatter and laughter filled the air, spilling out the windows and into the dusk, a single pair of eyes glared out from the wall.

'God damn you Naruto. I'll make you regret that day…'

* * *

The party continued well after the sun retired from the sky, resting for the next day. Lee and Shikamaru had already left, along with the Konohamaru Corps, claiming they needed rest for jobs, training, and school. Naruto had been sad to see them go, but was reassured that they would hang out the next day. 

Sakura smiled as she collapsed on her couch, next to Ino and Hinata as Naruto wandered over to talk to Neji and Shino, tugging on the Hyuuga's longer hair playfully and pretending not to recognize Shino.

"He's really happy, isn't he?" she asked softly, sipping at the punch she had set up and making a face when she realize someone (probably Kiba, the resident troublemaker since Naruto had left) had made it more alcohol than punch. That was probably why it hadn't run out yet.

"Of course he is," Ino said, brushing her bangs from her eye. "He is home after all. And we're all happy to see him, too."

"Sasuke-san doesn't seem to happy," Hinata murmured, pulling her jacket tighter about her, despite the heat of the room.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun's never happy," Ino laughed, glancing over to the dark-haired shinobi leaned up against the wall, as far from the others as he could be while still in the same room.

"But you would think that Sasuke-kun would have said _something_ to Naruto," Sakura said, looking at Sasuke as well. "After all, Naruto did bring him back…"

"Have you been watching him _all night_?" Ino asked, a graceful eyebrow quirked in amusement. "I thought you'd gotten over your crush a long time ago."

"Oh, hush, Ino. I'm only saying because he's in the exact same spot he was in when he first arrived."

"Maybe his icy personality has finally frozen his legs and he can't move," Ino laughed, mockingly wrapping her arms about herself and shivering.

Sakura smiled at her friend. 'Maybe I'm making too big a deal out of this. Sasuke was never social and didn't really like Naruto in the first place. Maybe he's just waiting for everyone to leave…' She looked up when a shadow fell over them.

"Come on, Hinata," Neji said, hair mussed and a look of barely suppressed amusement on his face. "It's getting late."

"W-what about Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked softly, standing and playing with the hem of her jacket.

"He's too drunk to notice anything, he's not going to miss us."

"O… Ok." Hinata turned to Sakura and bowed politely. "Thank you for having us here."

"It's no problem, Hinata-chan," Sakura replied with a smile. "Make sure Neji-san takes you home safely, or I'll have to knock some sense into him."

Hinata blushed and giggled while Neji rolled his eyes, gently leading his cousin away and out the door.

"Neji-san is right, you know," Ino said, glancing to the clock. "It is getting really late and most everyone here is drunk off their ass. Think we should wrap it up?"

Sakura smiled and, with her friend's assistance, managed to get the semi-coherent to drag home the unconscious. Looking to Naruto, where he was still half-dazed in an overstuffed chair, she was about to lead him to the guest room so that he could sleep off his drunk, when Sasuke (he was still there? She thought he was one of the first to leave) pushed off the wall and approached.

"Let me." It sounded more of an order than a request. "I know where he lives."

"Really?" Sakura gave a relived sigh. "Thank you so much, Sasuke-kun. You're such a good friend."

Sasuke grunted and tugged Naruto to his feet, the blond wobbling unsteadily. Draping Naruto's arm over his shoulders and supporting him with an arm around his waist, Sasuke nodded his goodbye to Sakura and Ino as he dragged the near-unconscious boy home.

Ino chewed her bottom lip as she watched her former-crush carry the stumbling blonde away, pushing away the worry that was forming in the pit of her stomach as she began to help Sakura clean. After all, what was going to happen with Sasuke there to help Naruto?

* * *

Naruto grunted, feeling as though he was about to pass out as Sasuke unceremoniously dumped him on his couch. He could feel the Kyuubi filtering the alcohol from his body already, causing the drunkenness to fade quickly and leave him with the beginnings of a major hangover. He knew why the Fox was doing this (to go drinking with Ero-sennin was indeed an experience – one he tended to block from his memory whenever he could) and appreciated the vile beast grudgingly. 

"Here."

Naruto blinked, his mind still foggy, and accepted the glass from Sasuke's hands with an odd grimace. But that might have just been from his brain throbbing against his skull. "What's this?"

"It's to help with the hangover."

Swaying in his apartment's nonexistent breeze, he quickly down the glass in almost one gulp, the sticky-sweet scent and taste assaulting his mouth and nostrils causing him to gag horribly.

"Uugh… I don't feel so good…" The glass slipped from his numb fingers and landed with a dull thud.

"Come on, dobe." Sasuke's voice sounded far away. Like his ears were stuffed with cotton. Naruto felt his lips move and his throat vibrate with words, but he couldn't, for the life of him, know what he was saying.

Again, Sasuke grabbed his arm, but it felt distant. Almost like his entire body was going numb. Sasuke said something again, but Naruto couldn't make it out. All he knew is that they were stumbling away, down a ratty hallway and into a dusty room. And then…

* * *

Inverted eyes, gold and black, narrowed and black fire burned across his flesh. Oh yes. Tonight, Naruto would pay…

* * *

Man, this chapter sucked… Oh well. I'm sleepy, so I'll just go ahead and say it. I own neither Naruto nor FMA. So, till next time! (also, I'm not sure about the title. Any help with this would be greatuly apprecieated.) 


	2. Escape

Naruto whimpered and writhed, his sheets tangling about his waist and legs. His head throbbed and his body felt like it was on fire. What had happened last night? He thought that the Kyuubi would have filtered the alcohol to keep him from getting drunk. He shouldn't feel like this...

There came a second shifting from his bed.

The blonde froze, his hands clenching his dirty sheets. There was someone else in his bed.

Oh.

Shit.

Naruto sat up, ignoring the pain that ripped through his body with the sudden movement of his hips. He ripped away the sheets that covered a quivering mound and his breath caught.

Sasuke looked up at him, eyes red from - lack of sleep? crying? - and full of fear. He caught Naruto's eye and shifted away, whimpering when he moved.

The sheets were bloody.

"Oh, god..." Naruto whispered, terror filling his soul.

Tears began to fall down the other's cheeks, dripping onto ruined sheets. "Why?" he sobbed quietly. "Why, Naruto?"

Naruto threw himself from his bed, pain shooting down his legs and up his spine. "Oh, god," he repeated. He clasped his hands over his mouth, feeling bile rising in his throat. His knees felt weak. He turned and ran, stumbling down the hall and throwing himself into his bathroom. He locked the door and leaned heavily against it. "Oh, god..."

In Naruto's room, gold and black eyes hardened and a smirk crossed black-flamed flesh.

"You felt so good, Naruto..."

* * *

Ino decided it was wrong to laugh at Kiba as he pressed his head against her shoulder, whining about his hangover. It was wrong to take pleasure at the sound of his voice as he pitifully swore off alcohol for the rest of his life. 

Wrong never felt so good.

Kiba grumbled against Ino as she convulsed with laughter, glad that they were sitting on an out-of-the-way park bench instead of standing as they otherwise would have fallen over. And that wouldn't have been good for Kiba's brain. Lying at their feet, and in fact being used as a footrest, Akamaru twitched his ears. His brother was always so whiney whenever he woke after a night of drinking; it was starting to be embarrassing. As he ignored Kiba and Ino, he instead turned his attention to the rest of the park, glad that where they were situated was near the main road so he could smell anyone coming or going. It wouldn't do for both of them to be unprepared.

"Rrf?"

Kiba pulled his face from his girlfriend's shoulder and looked warily at Akamaru. "What's wrong?"

Akamaru barked once and Kiba flinched as the sound disagreed with his aching head. Ino tilted her head, not quite able to understand Akamaru as well as her boyfriend.

"Who's coming?" Kiba asked, grogginess subsiding at the disturbance in the dog's tone. His eyes narrowed at Akamaru's answer.

"What's wrong, Kiba?" Ino questioned, confused.

"Something's wrong with Sasuke," he replied, standing and preparing to seek out said Uchiha.

"Something's _been_ wrong with him," Ino muttered, standing as well. "Anything specific?"

"There's blood."

* * *

Naruto sat curled up on the floor of his shower, the water having long since run ice cold. His body shuddered but here merely hugged his knees tighter to his chest. Oh, god...

How could he? Was he really that true of a monster? In his drunkenness, had the Kyuubi...?

No! He was looking at you - at _you_! Not some beast that you can blame everything on! He was looking (so scared - so damn _scared_!) at him! _He_ was the beast - even worse so than that bastard fox.

No... He couldn't call it that anymore. The Kyuubi was probably a saint compared to him now. All it had done was kill. He had... He had...

raped...

Oh, god...

* * *

Ino watched as Sasuke walked away. There was something so completely different about him today. He seemed to be faking that cold exterior now. She had obsessed over him for so long when she was younger that she knew what little emotions he had by heart. His eyes were... colder. There was something scary in them. And his lips had kept twitching, like he wanted to start grinning. 

Kiba huffed and rubbed his head, the aspirin he'd taken before setting out on the search for Ino finally kicking in. "That boy is fucked up," he grumbled.

"How so?" Ino asked, distracted by her thoughts.

Kiba worried his bottom lip. Ino sounded too far distracted by Sasuke... No. She told him she loved him. She wouldn't go back to chasing Sasuke now. He refused to believe it. "He walks around smelling like blood and doesn't say a damned word about it. It's like he's... happy about it." He frowned as Ino continued to watch where Sasuke had been before and his stomach clenched. "Ino...?"

Finally she tore her gaze away and looked up at Kiba. Her blue eyes softened and filled with joy, and Kiba felt his worries dissipate as she hugged him. "Nothing. It's... nothing. I'm just glad to be with you."

* * *

Sakura watched Ino approach her, frowning and casting a troubled look to the ground. The blonde woman brushed her bangs from her eyes absently, jumping when Sakura laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Ino-pig?" Affectionate was the nickname now, and it made Ino smile for a moment. "What's wrong?" A troubled look was in her eyes when she looked into Sakura's that could only relate to one emotion. "What did Kiba do?"

"Kiba didn't do anything," Ino muttered. "It's… Sasuke-kun…"

Sakura bit her bottom lip. "You didn't…?"

"No!" Ino yelped loudly, surprising herself as well as her friend. "I would never do anything like that to Kiba. It's just that… Something's wrong with Sasuke-kun. He's… behaving oddly."

"He's always behaved oddly." Another fleeting moment smile. "Specifically how?"

"It's like he's… happy… about something." Sakura opened her mouth and Ino shot her a half-playful glare and continued before the pink-haired girl could. "But I get the feeling it's something wrong."

"What do you mean?" Damn Tsunade for making her study Psychology – now she sounded like some damn shrink.

Ino nibbled the tip of her tongue, unsure of what to say. "I… I don't know. Ignore it. Whatever." She turned and began to hurry off. "I'm just being paranoid. I'll see you later Sakura."

Sakura opened her mouth to call to her friend, but nothing came out. What did Ino mean…?

* * *

Naruto lie, huddled up against his couch, curtains drawn to keep anyone from peering in even though it was three in the morning. It had been almost two weeks since the… and he hadn't left his apartment. He hadn't even changed clothes. They were all in his room and he didn't – he _couldn't_ go back in there. Not after doing what he did. 

His stomach burned, but he ignored it. He no longer feared the beast. He was now worse that it. No living creature should have to put up with him, demon or not.

_I'm sorry…_ he thought. _I'm sorry you have to be in me…_

Red chakra ran through his body, warming him from the cold that had taken over the apartment. He relaxed into it for a moment before clamping down, severing the only link he allowed the fox to have with him. No being with a soul as black as his should have any comfort…

Vaguely he wondered how long it would take. How long it would take for the truth to spread throughout the village about… about… what he did. How long would it be before the villagers came after him demanding blood? No one would be able to protect him – no one should protect him. He should die. Die and rid the world of his mistake of a life.

But deep inside was the selfish feeling of wanting to live.

_No_, he tried to tell himself. _They will come after me and they will destroy me. Then the village will be safe. Safe… from me. So that I can never… Can never…_

He stood, muscles protesting the sudden movement. Clamping his hands over his ears and twisting his fingers into his hair, he moved. He ran to the bathroom, feeling bile rising again. He didn't make it. He vomited on the floor, red mixed in with the acid from his torn throat and stomach. His abdomen ached and burned. The fox within tried to reach out – to heal his body – but he refused to let it. It hurt…

Naruto collapsed and fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. The fox kept pushing chakra against the wall he'd put up, burning him from the inside.

_I don't want to hurt. Why… Why should I be the one to hurt…? To suffer? To make others suffer? I just want…_

_I just want…_

_I just want to leave._

He stood on shaky legs, spitting blood and acid on the floor. He stumbled out of the bathroom and grabbed the nearing article of clothing – a black coat with odd designs on the sleeve-cuffs he'd never bothered to figure out that Iruka had given him ages ago, too big then and too big now, that he had cuddled mindlessly the first day or so after… - and pulled it on. He still wore the same orange pants he'd had on when he'd first come back and a black fishnet shirt – the only things he'd grabbed when he'd left the room that day.

He was about to throw open his front door and paused. No. No, people would be able to see him. He didn't want anyone to needlessly suffer the sight of him. Instead, he turned toward the window and clambered through it, using just barely enough of his own chakra to keep from breaking his legs at the end of the three-story drop. Pulling the jacket closer about his body, he ran into the darkness of the back alleys, trusting the pre-dawn night to hide him until he could get away.

* * *

Tsunade glared at the Jounin standing before her, taking sadistic pleasure in watching him quiver as she waited for his report. 

"We've, ah, been by his apartment," he stammered, and she could see that he was dying to wring his hands together. This was why she wanted Sakura to study Psychology, she told herself. To watch for the unconscious gestures and see which were suppressed to impress others. "But there's… no answer to any of our calls. None of the lights come on. Uh, he's been really quiet. According to his neighbors."

Tsunade rested her elbows on her desk and clasped her hands together, lowering her chin to sit daintily upon them.

"And? I know you have more to this – I can see it." Someone else had been in before him and mentioned it. She wanted it confirmed.

"Ah… Uh, one of his neighbors – Mrs. Serdle – mentioned that she thought she saw something at his window the other night."

"Which 'other night' exactly?"

"Ah – last night. Approximately three thirty in the morning."

An elegant eyebrow quirked. "And what, exactly, was Serdle-san doing, awake, at three thirty?"

"She said that her cat was having a, ah, fuss and was refusing to allow her to sleep."

Tsunade nodded once. "Did she mention anything else about it?"

"No, ah, she only mentioned it."

A fist slammed into the desk, cracking the wood beneath it. "Then go back and _ask_ about it."

The Jounin flinched and with a hurried, "Yes ma'am," fled the room with a quick teleportation jutsu.

She heaved a sigh and unclenched her fist, letting it lie limply on the ruined desk. Lowering her eyes, she smirked softly. Funny, the desk was suddenly very blurry…

* * *

Naruto leaned up against the window, huddling deep into his jacket that still held the strong scent of Iruka. His eyes dully watched the scenery as it flashed before him in the post-dawn light, the golden sunshine almost completely faded into plain white. He was the only being in the compartment – possibly the only one on the entire train aside the conductor himself. Even so, he felt the need to take up as little space as possible, to hide in the coat of black and never reemerge. 

It was a blur to him. All he could remember – want to remember – was stumbling down blackened back alleys, discovering the one train station Konoha had to its name, receiving a ticket – had he paid for it? did they ask him to? – and somehow making his way on. There was no last call, no warning. The train merely accepted him and then took off, delivering him into the unknown.

But that was ok. He would like the unknown. No one would have to be hurt by knowing him.

* * *

Angel doesn't own FMA or Naruto. So, till next time! 


	3. Killer

Havoc leaned back in the plastic seat, nibbling the insides of his cheeks and wishing for a cigarette. Not for the first time, he cursed his superior officers who decided that he would be the best "bait" available. Absently, he picked up the newspaper from the table and glanced over the headline he'd already read over hundreds of times by now.

EASTERN KILLER STILL AT LARGE – MILITARY GIVING UP?

Havoc refused a scowl at the paper, knowing he had to appear as apathetic to these killings as normal civilians. Instead, he skimmed the passage below the boastful headline, picking out the words he'd already memorized since his briefing the previous night. "Eastern killings… four victims… blonde hair… blue eyes… male… near the train station… killer still free…"

He stood and folded the paper neatly, placing it on the table. He'd been sitting outside the small café, nursing a cup of coffee for almost twenty minutes now, listening to the whistling of trains leaving and arriving; playing the part of "unsuspecting civilian" was beginning to get on his nerves a bit, but he complied. Better the killer go after someone with some experience in fighting than some _real _civilian. He laid a few sens on the table for whatever soul happened to clear away his cup and took his leave. He'd probably have more luck tomorrow – hanging out at the café everyday for the past five days was sure to catch _someone's_ attention. Hopefully the someone behind all the murders.

The noontime sun shone directly on him, warming the top of his head almost unbearably and he began to walk down the street, heading towards a small bookshop just before the train station gates. He ducked just inside the door, cool shade falling over him and picked up a random book. He lazily flipped a few pages, skimming over what he belatedly realized was some medieval romance, and repressed a shudder when he felt a pair of eyes on him. Havoc looked up and smiled at a pretty young woman who was watching him tough thick, dark bangs. She smiled back sweetly and, looking around to see no one but the salesperson behind the counter, approached Havoc, adjusting the brown coat she wore over her clothes.

"Hello, sir," she greeted, looking up into his eyes.

Havoc bit the inside of his lips at the way her black eyes swam and shimmered in the vague light that made its way within the store. "Hello, madam." She was really pretty. "How are you this day?"

She laughed and brushed her bangs away from her face. "You sound so sweet." She looked him in the eye again and sighed wistfully. "You have blue eyes. I wish I had blue eyes – they're so exotic looking."

Havoc reached up and gently touched his cheekbone. "They're not that special. No difference between mine and, say, yours."

The woman looked away and covered her eyes with one hand. "Ah, I hate my eyes." Her bangs fell back into her eyes. "And my hair." Havoc laughed softly and she smiled. "So, do you have a name, or are you just going to hit on me, sweet stranger?"

Havoc placed the book back on the shelf and extended his now-free hand. "I'm Stan. And you, madam?"

"Marissa." She placed her hand in his and giggled as he bent over to kiss her knuckles.

"Such an honor to meet you, Marissa." A train whistle blew loudly, announcing an arrival, and Havoc released Marissa. "I'm afraid that that's my signal to leave. Will I see you again, Marissa?"

Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. "Of course we will, Stan. I'll be sure to find your exotic eyes once again."

Havoc gave a sweeping, elaborate bow and turned to leave, heading to the train station. He would hang out there for a few minutes before heading "home" to a small apartment complex several blocks down. He hoped that he would run into the killer some time soon – he was tired of waiting and he wanted to go back to _his_ house.

He passed by the gates, heading into the throng of people disembarking the latest train arrival. He pushed past the people, grouchy from being in such close quarters and desperate for fresh air and space, and worked his way over to a bench, collapsing in it and looking as though he were waiting for someone. His fingers absently reached for his pocket and twitched, grasping nothing until he realized that he didn't have his cigarettes with him. He groaned and sprawled out on the bench, eyes lazily flicking over each of the arrivals.

A young woman with two children tugging at her skirts, begging to go home. An elderly couple helping each other out to the more-open air of East City. A couple of raggy teens that looked like runaways and possible pickpockets. A few adults, possibly only a little older than him, with suits and briefcases.

He was about to close his eyes, when there came a yelp, barely audible over the chatter of people. He himself wouldn't have noticed it in the first place, if the young teen hadn't fallen flat on his face in front of him, shoved possibly by some other the other children. Havoc quickly kneeled by the child, shaking one of his shoulders gently.

"You ok, kid?" he asked over the din of noise.

The teen grunted and pushed himself to his hands and knees, messy blonde hair falling into his face. "Watashi kara todomaru beki de aru…" he mumbled. Havoc blinked helplessly and the child repeated in English, "You should stay away from me…"

Havoc shook his head. "I want to help you." He pulled the kid to his feet and watched as he adjusted the huge, black jacket draped over his body.

"Does that even fit?" Havoc questioned lightly, a small smile on his face as he attempted conversation.

The kid hugged the jacket desperately, the body of it dragging on the ground and the sleeve trailing past his fingertips, the little blue dolphins on the cuffs dancing around his hands. "I like it…"

Havoc pulled back and looked at the kid. "If you're sure you're ok…"

The child looked up and watched Havoc with eyes like shimmering sapphires. Havoc was sure that if he looked away now, he'd never see the same shade anywhere else in the world. "Don' worry 'bout me," he stated, despite the tremble in his voice. Without waiting for Havoc to say anything more, he ducked away and pushed past a group of teens lounging by a route map. Havoc frowned and was about to sigh and turn away when he saw Marissa suddenly appear beside the boy. She cupped his cheek in one hand and smiled down at him, saying something before leading him away.

Havoc took his bottom lip in his teeth. The way the kid had been acting, it didn't seem like he'd been waiting for someone. And Marissa hadn't shown any sort of need to go to the station before. He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets, fingering the concealed gun to make sure it was there and sauntered off after the beauty and child.

* * *

Oh what beautiful, beautiful, precious eyes he had… 

Not pure blue, but with greens and purples mixed in – completely exotic and never seen before in this lifetime.

She wanted them.

She wanted them badly.

* * *

Naruto stood stiffly beside the woman. First he'd attempted to make the blonde man understand that it was dangerous to be around him, and now this woman wouldn't listen to him either. He opened his mouth to warn her again, when she took his arm in her hand and dragged him with her, into an alley behind a bookstore. She slammed him up against the wall and caressed his cheek, pressing her face close to his and staring into his eyes. 

"So beautiful," she crooned.

"S-stay away…" Naruto whined. She was so close; his stomach was churning; was he going to end up hurting her…?

She dug her hands into his hair and grinned. "So soft and pretty."

"P-please!" His eyes shimmered with tears and she slammed him against the wall again. "Watashi ha kizutsuke tai to omowa nai…" he mumbled, but she couldn't understand.

"I couldn't wait for you like the others. I want them. I want them now," she growled. She reached into her jacked and pulled out a long fillet knife, the tip shimming dangerously as she held it above her head.

"Give them to me!" she screamed, the knife plummeting towards Naruto's head.

The blonde whimpered and closed his eyes, fighting against the red chakra that was attempting to build up as a shield under his skin. This was his just reward…

"Stop!" a voice cried and then there was a loud sound that hurt Naruto's ears. The woman shrieked and dropped the knife, clutching at her arm, which was now bleeding. The woman turned angrily on her heel, but a male and a female, both in blue uniforms, were already upon her, putting handcuffs on her and speaking loudly and gruffly to her.

"Are you all right, kid?" came the voice again, and Naruto looked up to see the same man from the train station looking down at him, worry evident in his eyes.

Naruto whimpered softly. The man had stopped fate from extracting its vengeance upon him. Now he was doomed to life and would possibly end up hurting someone again. His stomach ached horribly and he opened his mouth to say something, but instead, darkness took aver and he collapsed, never hearing the shocked cries of the man calling for medical help.

* * *

He awoke in a hospital, dazed and slightly confused, stomach still churning, but less agitated. The blue-uniformed woman was standing beside his bed, and she smiled when she saw that he was awake. 

"Are you all right?" she asked softly, and he nodded, looking shyly into her brown eyes. "That's good. My name is Riza Hawkeye. Can you answer a few questions for me?"

"Watashi wo naze tasuke tai to omou ka?" Naruto mumbled, looking away from her. Without giving her time to react, he continued softly, "I'll do what I can…"

"What is your name?" the woman asked, seemingly not noticing his Japanese.

"Uzu-" He frowned, remembering the English way of introduction. "Naruto Uzumaki."

Riza nodded and wrote the name down on a pad of paper she was holding. "Now, can you tell me about the woman who attacked you?"

Naruto nibbled his lip. His stomach was hurting again, and he was sure it was because of the Kyuubi's anger at being attacked. "She took me from the station. She said I was pretty. She wanted my… my eyes. Kanojo ha kami no ishi wo shi te i ta…"

The woman nodded and wrote down his words, frowning softly. "Thank you. If you have anything else, then tell the doctor and he will alert me." She then left and, as she walked out the door, he saw her stop and talk to the blonde man that had talked to him at the train station. Again his stomach churned, but it wasn't as intense, it was peaceful, almost, and he suddenly felt the need to thank the man.

Naruto bit his lips and shut his eyes tight. Why should he thank the man? He'd almost been destroyed – no longer a threat to anyone. But now, he could hurt anyone at any time. How could he thank someone for allowing him to live?

Again, the red chakra attempted to soothe him, but he refused it, instead allowing it to burn in his stomach, until the Fox gave up.

* * *

Sorry this was so late, but I had two choices to make, and this ended up being the best one. And as for the Japanese, I'm not sure if it's entirely correct – I had to use two translators for it (one to get the Japanese and the other to put it in romaji), but whatever. I don't own FMA or Naruto, so, till next time! 


	4. Hospital

Havoc looked up as Hawkeye emerged from the hospital room. She was glancing over her notes to make sure that she'd written everything down, although the male was sure she had.

"Is he ok?" Havoc asked, hesitating to stand. "You know, aside from being attacked."

"I don't think so," Hawkeye replied, finally looking up at him. "He mentioned quite a few things that suggests psychological trauma."

Havoc cursed and looked away. "I shouldn't have waited as long as I did to find them."

"That doesn't appear to be what caused the damage," came the First Lieutenant's calculated comfort. "He spoke two phrases in Japanese: 'Watashi wo naze tasuke tai to omou ka' – which roughly translates into 'Why won't you let me die' and 'Kanojo ha kami no ishi wo shi te i ta' which is: 'She was doing God's work.'"

Havoc ran a hand through his hair and exhaled deeply. He glanced inconspicuously into the room where the boy had collapsed backwards onto the bed, covering his face with the sheet, and asked quietly, "What the hell happened to that kid?"

Hawkeye pulled the notepad close to her chest to be sure not to misplace it and looked at Havoc. "I'll run a check on the child. His parents may have already reported him missing or as a runaway."

Havoc stood as another military officer appeared at the end of the hall, walking briskly in their direction. "If he's using Japanese, you think he's from around here?"

"He could have possibly studied abroad." Hawkeye's eyes shone with experience. "Often when one comes back from something like that, one tends to think in different languages for a while."

"That could make sense." Havoc frowned. "Hey Breda, what're you doing here?"

The redheaded officer gave a wary grin, pausing next to his friend. "Edward's is in this hospital and Mustang wants to see if he's conscious yet."

Havoc blinked. "When'd the boss get here?"

"Just the other day. Right before you caught that lady, actually."

"What happened to him?" Havoc was interested.

"Not sure. Confidential stuff. Mustang's pissed about it, though, so try to avoid him if possible."

"I can't," Havoc sighed exaggeratedly. "I have to report in to him."

"Hope you live," Breda said unhelpfully, once again heading down the hallway. "Are you coming with me, Lieutenant?"

"If I must," Hawkeye responded, flipping to a new page and taking out her pen for the inevitable torrent of enraged shouting Edward was surely going to let loose. Havoc watched them leave before sighing and sticking his hands in his pockets. He felt his fingers brush against the box of cigarettes and he held it in his hand, eager to escape the endless, sterile white completely surrounding him.

Breda ignored the sound of his comrade's increasingly brisk footsteps and instead braced himself for the sight – or sound, whichever came first – of Edward's usual hospital rants. Beside him, Hawkeye stood impatiently, though no sign of it was reflected anywhere in her stance.

"Hey, Edward," Breda began, pushing the door open at the same time, "you alive in there?"

The blonde alchemist looked up from his typical trey of hospital food, nose still wrinkled from the sight of milk sitting on his lap. "How many times do I have to tell these people how much I hate this white shit? Can't they understand the simple words – 'no milk'?"

Breda bit the inside of his lip to keep from informing the blonde that it was Colonel Mustang that specified the drink for each of Edward's meals. It wasn't that he was afraid of the bloody battle that was sure to ensue – he wouldn't mind the distraction from actual work – but he didn't want to be the one found out of letting loose that little "secret", no matter how many people knew the truth.

"Colonel Mustang sent me to pick you up," Breda said, ignoring the little glare he received upon the change of subject. "You still got all your limbs?"

"A little scratched up, but nothing major." Edward flung the thin blanket off his body and inspected his automail leg. Some of the metal was melted slightly and there some deep scruffs, but it was still in working condition. 'Winry's going to kill me if she ever sees this,' thought Edward. He looked up. "Where's Al? Isn't he usually here too?"

"The Colonel wanted Alphonse to stay in Central," Hawkeye responded, not looking up from the notes she had been jotting down. "That way we wouldn't have to worry about both of you if someone tried something on us."

"I bet that's just what he said," Edward grumbled, now inspecting his arm. "I bet he just didn't want to buy a second train ticket for Al."

"Whatever you say, Edward," Breda said. "We'll get you some privacy so that you can change."

"Yeah, thanks," Edward mumbled, swinging his legs off the cot the hospital called a bed. Hawkeye and Breda turned to face the doorway, listening to the shuffle of human and metal feet on the faux-tile floor. There was the rustling of clothes as Edward threw off the hospital gown and pulled on his regular clothes which had been stashed away in a tray under the bed. "Ok," he said, grabbing his red trench coat and swinging it on, "let's get out of here."

"No wheelchair?" Breda asked, grinning at the glare he received.

"I'm not _that_ injured."

"Sure you're not." Breda continued to grin as he opened the door, giving a lavish bow to Hawkeye. "Ladies first."

"And I thought chivalry was dead," the lieutenant said, a smile in her voice.

"Never around me."

Hawkeye's eyes softened as she stepped out the door, the two male following closely behind her. She held her notepad close to her chest and would have continued to walk forward had a movement not caught her attention.

"Are you feeling better already?" she called to Naruto as he attempted to escape his room.

The blonde boy froze, body tensing, and looked over his shoulder. His blue eyes widened and he bit his lip.

Perhaps he hadn't understood, was the Lieutenant's thought, and so she repeated, "Daijoubu desu ka?"

Naruto suddenly paled and he threw himself into his room, the door 'wooshing' shut behind him. Edward and Breda blinked at the odd happenings that had just occurred and the short blonde ventured to ask, "Who was that, Lieutenant?"

"His name is Naruto," Hawkeye responded, continuing to move forward. She glanced inside the room as she passed, but saw that the boy was curled up on the bed with the sheet pulled completely over him. "He was admitted yesterday after an attack."

"Who attacked him?" Edward was curious as to what would have made the other boy so terrified of someone speaking Japanese.

"A serial murderer we've been stalking," Breda supplied. "We managed to bring her in, but not before she got him cornered. We're trying to figure out if she managed to hurt him."

"There's been a serial killer here?" Edward asked, semi-surprised. "Like Scar?"

"Almost," was Breda's reply. "But instead of targeting State Alchemists, she was going after blondes with blue eyes."

Edward flinched. That would have been a close call if he had remained in Central City instead of hunting down a book in Westopolis that might have contained information on the Philosopher's Stone (it was a dead-end lead, instead talking him into the bowels of a thieves' den). He wasn't sure if the killer would have taken the time to notice gold eyes instead of blue.

* * *

Naruto lay under the scratchy sheet, the lumpy bed underneath him digging into his spine. His sensitive nose picked up the scent of sickness and of death that would have otherwise been covered up by bleach. He could hear the shuffling of nurses and the groaning and wailing of other patients. Through the fibers, he could see the off-white ceiling, blurred by the harsh, yellowed lighting. 

And though he could feel, smell, hear, and see, he wasn't there at all. His conscious mind had retreated deeper into him, down dank and slimy tunnels until he stood before a giant cage. The rusty iron bars were glowing and a fine weave of blue was between them, obscuring the view of the giant within.

"What would you do," he asked of the cage, "if I were to go in there?"

There was no response. He had made it so that they couldn't hear each other. The Fox shouldn't have to hear him.

"Would you kill me? Would I be able to be free finally? No longer to hurt anyone else?"

He collapsed, sitting in one foot of freezing water.

"I think I caused that woman to be killed." He wrapped his arms about himself, not noticing how he was now wearing Iruka's jacket again. "She was just trying to destroy me, and she got killed because of it." Tears dripped down his cheeks, burning hot. "Why do I have to kill people? Why do I have to be such a monster?" He bowed his head. "I'm worse than you…"

Red pressed against the blue mesh, but it couldn't escape. For a moment, Naruto wanted to let his entwined chakra go – wanted to let the Fox finally get rid of him – but he just stood. He was dripping wet and his lips were turning blue, but he didn't notice. He turned away and began his walk back to consciousness.

It was only slightly warmer.

* * *

I don't own Naruto or FMA. So, till next time! 


	5. Havoc

Havoc leaned against the counter, nibbling on his tongue instead of a cigarette. The white surrounding him was blinding and he reached up to rub his eyes. The nurse, who had once been sitting in the chair before him, was now rustling through a filing cabinet, flicking the folders out of the way.

"What was the patient's name again?" she questioned, startling Havoc.

"Uh, Naruto Uzumaki. He might have been admitted in as a John Doe, though."

The nurse hummed softly, continuing to shift through the files. Havocs fingers twitched towards his pocket, but he pulled away, instead folding his hands across the countertop and leaning on them. "No John Does were admitted recently," the nurse said, opening another drawer. "So your child is right… here." She pulled a thin manila folder out, the name "Uzumaki, Naruto" scrawled across the tab. Carefully, the woman brought it back to her seat and flipped it open. "Everything checks out normal – all tests came out negative." She looked up and smiled. "Just sign right here and go up to his room. There will be a nurse with a wheelchair there."

Havoc grabbed the pen and scribbled his name at the bottom of the form he was handed. The paper was then pinned to the folder and all was replaced back in the cabinet as Havoc began to walk up to Naruto's room. It was odd, he thought, that the boy would just show up out of nowhere with no one to miss him. Lieutenant Hawkeye had run a check on all missing persons within the last few months and none seemed to fit the boy's description.

_"What are we going to do with him then?" Fuery had asked once the Colonel had been informed. "If he doesn't have a place to go to once he's released…" _

_Roy__ had closed his eyes and brought a hand to cup his chin – looking for all the world as though he were thinking. But no one in the room had been fooled; they all knew he knew exactly what he was going to do next. _

_"He's going to need a place to stay," Breda had added. "At least until someone comes to claim him. And the hospital's sure not going to let him stay there." _

_Roy__ had nodded to himself, as though he were listening. Finally, he'd opened his eyes once more and spoken. "Lieutenant Havoc. You're the one who found him, correct?" _

_"Yes." Havoc knew Roy had already known the answer. _

_"Take the boy into your house. Since he has no background, keep an eye on him in case something should com up. For all we know, 'Naruto Uzumaki' is just an alias for something else." _

Havoc looked up from his recollections to find himself standing outside the door to Naruto's room. A male nurse was approaching, pushing an empty wheelchair before him. The nurse nodded to Havoc and the blonde pushed the door open.

Naruto was sitting there, staring somberly out the window. He blinked once as Havoc entered, and watched the man's reflection as he approached.

"Naruto? My name is Jean Havoc."

The boy bowed his head.

"You've been released from the hospital."

The boy frowned and pressed a hand to his stomach.

"Watashi ha naze kou sure ba o kanjiru ka…?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Where am I going to go?" Naruto finally turned to look at him instead of the shadow in the window.

"I'm going to take you home with me. Until someone comes by to pick you up."

Naruto's frown increased and he clutched his stomach tighter.

"Are you ok?" Havoc asked, stepping forward.

Any discomfort Naruto had shown vanished in an instant, the only pain left lingering in his eyes. "I'm fine." He grunted as he sat up but flinched away when Havoc reached up to help him. The older blonde drew back, unsure if he had hurt the boy or if there was some other reason he had pulled away. The nurse by the door pushed the wheelchair over and instructed Naruto to sit in it.

For the first time since he had seen the boy, a spark of life appeared in his eyes as Naruto grumbled, "I can do it by myself…"

Havoc hid a smirk, suddenly reminded of another short, young blonde. "It's for your own good," Havoc told Naruto, in a voice he hoped didn't sound amused. "Otherwise you might collapse and have to spend more time in here."

Naruto glowered at the chair for a moment more and Havoc wondered if he would have to force the boy to sit in it before they could leave. However, looking so grudgingly obedient, the boy hoisted himself out of the bed and all but collapsed into the chair. Havoc allowed himself a small grin as he began to wheel the boy out of the room, telling the nurse that he knew the way out.

* * *

Naruto grumbled in his seat, glowering at his feet. He couldn't believe how he had managed to let himself be talked into this. It was completely embarrassing. The blonde man pushing him was humming lightly and grinding his teeth. The sound was oddly comforting and Naruto felt himself relaxing, leaning back into the uncomfortable support. 

'It's nice,' he thought. 'It feels like I'm little again with Iruka-sensei…'

At the thought of the brown-haired man, Naruto's thought darkened once again. 'Iruka-sensei… You had such hope for me. I wish I'd never let you down by becoming like this… You never wanted one worse than a demon as a student. I used to think of you as "big brother" but now…'

Havoc looked down, frowning at the top of Naruto's head. Before he had been growling, life-like and expressing what could have been called happiness, and now… Now the child's head was bowed and his shoulders were hunched. Life had left him once more and the rag doll sitting in the chair was left sniffling.

The older blonde bit his lip (something he was wont to do when he didn't have a cigarette in his mouth) and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, ignoring the slight wobble the chair picked up without the extra weight on one side. The child jerked and sat up, a hand flying to his stomach. Havoc pulled away quickly, again wondering if he had cause Naruto pain.

"Are you all right?" he asked, taking up the chair with both hands once again. "I didn't hurt you did I?"

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but paused for a moment and closed it again, shaking his head in the negative. "You didn't harm me…"

It was eerie how depressed the child sounded when he said that. Havoc flinched and sucked on his lower lip, tasting the blood from where he'd unconsciously ripped off too much skin. "Cheer up," was the first thing Havoc found himself saying. "You'll be comfortable at my house – much more so than here. At least my place has colors other than white."

Naruto just leaned back in the chair, fingers twitching on his stomach still.

* * *

The child was once more traversing the dank tunnels of his subconscious. His body was in Havoc's machine – something he called a "car" – propped up in the back seat with his face turned away from the windows. Havoc was sitting in the front seat in front of a black plastic wheel that was used to control the machine; every once in a while he would say something, but Naruto couldn't pay attention and eventually the older blonde would just stop talking. 

Naruto's consciousness was currently wading though icy water, now a foot-and-a-half deep. The pipes above and around him clanked ominously, dirty water dripping, sometimes landing on him and making him shudder. From down the hallway, he could see the bright pulsing of blue weave that alerted him to the fact that he was almost in front of the demon fox. A part of him, deep within, was confused and scared at what he was about to do; but another part was calm, wondering why he hadn't done this earlier.

"Because they would have revived me," he said out loud to himself, thinking about what he had seen at the hospital. There had been one man in the same room as him the other day that had started convulsing and clutching at his chest. A whole bunch of people in white had rushed in and the word "dead" had hung in the air. Naruto had wondered if they were going to get rid of the body, but one of the nurses – a pretty blonde thing whose eyes reminded him way too much of Sakura – bent over the man and, within minutes, he was breathing deeply and heavily. But breathing nonetheless. And then they had taken him away, leaving Naruto in the room alone until Havoc had taken him almost a week later.

Naruto knew he couldn't do this there in that place. If what he was planning turned out the way he hoped, he didn't want to be brought back to life…

All too soon, Naruto stood in front of the cage. The chakra weave he had placed was no longer glowing brightly, but instead pulsating dully. Naruto found that he was shaking, but told himself that it was because the water had snaked into his shoes and was freezing his toes. He reached out with one trembling hand and pressed it to the weave, slowly bringing some of the energy back into him.

The blue suddenly turned violet as a rush of red chakra pushed against it, wisps of crimson seeping out and wrapping around him, warming his flesh slightly. Naruto felt himself relax as his own blue and the Nine-Tails' red entered him, soothing him and driving away the cold that was seeping into his bones. As soon as he noticed what he was doing, he yanked his hand away and shook himself, the red tresses pulling away as though confused.

"I want to talk to you, de…" He couldn't bring himself to say the word. He didn't feel right, cursing something much more innocent than him.

There was a rumbling growl from the other side of the weakened weave, and Naruto thought he saw a flash of movement – a waving like multiple snakes. Or tails.

Naruto bowed his head, looking at the water around his shins. He wiggled his feet, but he couldn't see them move. "I know you can hear me, however unpleasant it must be."

Again there was movement, but now Naruto knew it wasn't his imagination. He knew that the Fox had lashed out with its claws – he could see the glimmering white even past the chakra. Another growl emerged from deep within the Fox but now Naruto could make out words.

"Don't you ever say that again, do you hear me?"

Naruto bit into his lip and refused to flinch as he accidentally drew blood. The Nine-Tails waited and the child could see one eye glowing as it turned its head to peer at him. Again, it spoke.

"Boy, you look like shit. What the hell have you been pouting about?"

Naruto looked for his voice. "I've… been feeling things."

"Isn't that a good thing in humans?" He could see the crimson eye move closer, the slit-pupil contracting in the blue light given off by Naruto's weave. "The ability to feel emotion? Isn't that what separates _you_ from beasts like _me_?"

Naruto clutched at the dolphin-jacket, burying his face in the collar and breathing in the familiar scent that reminded him that at one point he had been safe. His eyes watered suddenly as he whispered, "You're not that bad of a beast."

"Really?" The Fox's long ears twitched. "And just what would you call worse than me? I've killed hundreds – most of them innocent. I've deceived men and robbed them of everything precious to them only to leave them completely alone. I've all but murdered the one who loved me and then ran off with the one I hated. What have you done that's worse than me?"

Naruto clenched a hand into a fist and bit his knuckles. He couldn't even bring himself to say the words.

The Fox growled low in its throat. "If you're not going to talk to me, brat, why the hell are you here?"

"What would you do if I released the seal?" Naruto asked suddenly, pulling his fist away when it began to bleed.

The Nine-Tails blinked and stared at him, first with one eye and then craning its head to look at him with the other.

"Boy, are you on something?" The Fox scoffed. "Why the hell would you need to know that? Get out of here bratling and leave me the fuck alone - I need some damn sleep."

Naruto would have spoken again, but the lumbering figure of the Fox turned its back to him and curled up, tails wrapping around its body. He hesitated momentarily, huddling into the jacket as he listened to the deep snoring no resonating from the cage before him. He didn't want to return to the conscious world, but he could feel that the car had stopped and that Havoc was getting out, saying something to his body.

* * *

I don't own FMA or Naruto. 


	6. Library

Havoc watched as the boy entered the kitchen, keeping one eye on him while pretending to read the newspaper. The younger blonde shuffled over to the refrigerator, looking over his shoulder as though expecting to be yelled at for intruding into some personal space. Havoc just reached for his cup of cold coffee and sipped it. He heard Naruto tapping his fingers on the insulated plastic momentarily before slowly opening it.

It had been four days since Naruto had been placed in Havoc's custody, the older blonde there with him on paid leave, and there was still no sign of anyone looking for him nor was there any suspicious activity from him. He just seemed to be a scared, scarred little boy. There were the sounds of rummaging before Naruto pulled away from the icebox, holding a small container in his hands.

"Is this ok?" he asked quietly.

Havoc looked at the container, knowing after several attempts that Naruto seemed frightened of eye contact, and nodded. It was week-old spaghetti he had been meaning to throw out, but it was still good. Naruto pulled the plastic box close to his chest and maneuvered himself to the stove, carefully adjusting the knobs until the burner closest to him lit with blue flames. The child pulled his hand away, holding the edge of his sleeve high in the air. Havoc had given him some of his old clothes – a too large white turtleneck and baggy black jeans that still slid off his hips even with the silver belt – until he was able to buy some for Naruto.

Naruto didn't want Havoc to waste his hard-earned money on him. He would have been content with his old clothes and, besides, Havoc would never want to wear any of this ever again now that Naruto had touched it. He was surprised that Havoc had his old clothes washed instead of burning them.

He ducked down and pulled a saucepan from under the cabinet and placed it on the burner as he stood up once more, the smell of dust igniting assaulting his nose suddenly. Naruto made a face at the stench and opened the container, plopping the mess of red and noodles into the pan. The sauce sizzled as Naruto placed the container by the sink and picked up a clean-looking wooden spoon and ceramic bowl. He returned to the stove and began to poke listlessly at the warming noodles.

Havoc watched over the top of his newspaper as Naruto dumped the mess of noodles into the bowl, moving it to the farthest end of the table. He noted the careful way Naruto kept the sleeves of his shirt clean as he wolfed down the small meal as though afraid someone would take it from him, and absently pondered why the boy seemed to end up in loose clothing. 'He's going to need something better fitting eventually,' Havoc told himself, reaching for a cup of coffee and sipping at it, blanching when he realized it had gotten cold. He would have bought something new the day the boy had entered his apartment, but he had locked himself in the spare room, only emerging the other day at his stomach's insistence.

A nonchalant glance at the clock told Havoc what he already knew. "My leave is up and I need to go to work." 'Half an hour ago,' he continued silently. "Are you going to come with me?"

Naruto licked the spoon clean, eyeing the movement of the man warily. He was still a little confused as to why he was being treated so nicely or why he was being allowed food and freedom when what he deserved was death and torture. And now he was being asked what to do as if his opinion mattered. He licked his teeth, the sweetness of the red sauce still clinging to his mouth and momentarily making him feel warm inside and opened his mouth to say softly, "Where else would I go?"

Havoc pondered the question as he folded up the newspaper and tossed it in the trash - he would just get another one at HQ. A quick list of secure places and officers ran through his mind, as well as the punishments he might receive for letting the little blonde out of his sight for a day. Red flags flew up in his mind as he thought of a certain name and location.

"There's always the library," Havoc suggested.

Naruto paused in his task of bringing the bowl to the sink to let it soak in the water. When he had asked Havoc where he would go, he hadn't expected an answer. He knew he was being watched by the older man and even the people he worked for. He didn't know why someone like him would be allowed to go free suddenly. 'He's letting a potential threat and a vile beast loose?' Naruto thought, staring into the soapy water that hid the bowl from view. 'Does he trust me or is this going to be a trap?'

Naruto looked up into the man's blue eyes, fighting the urge the blush and the fluttering feeling in his stomach that usually accompanied the action. "I'll go," he murmured quietly.

* * *

Edward sighed, inhaling the musty scent of old books and holding it in until he couldn't stand it anymore and only then letting it go. That scent was the entire reason he had starting reading anything in the first place - why he was so attracted to Hoenheim's library in the first place. It was the scent of mystery and knowledge. It was the scent that let him know that he could learn anything in the world for it was all written down somewhere. Alphonse often joked that even if they hadn't been looking for the Philosopher's Stone, Edward would still have traveled the world, trying to read every single book in existence.

Alphonse was currently searing in the reference section of the library, looking for anything they might have skipped over. Normally, a civilian would never have been allowed in the State library, much less near anything that might hold military knowledge, but he was given special permission by Edward (and, unknowingly to the brothers, Colonel Mustang) to wander about as he pleased, even without Edward there to show the proper identification of a state alchemist. His armor finger was running gently along the spines, a trail cleared of the thick dust already in place from the many times before. none of these books had been toughed in ages, save for the few times the librarians had checked the bar codes to make sure they were still in the right spot. All the new reference books were placed in the room adjacent to this one, their covers shiny and bright as compared to these dull and broken.

Edward put the book he was reading down and yawned widely, wiping at his eyes, which were started to become irritated from the dust. His automail creaked and he stretched it out, pulling up his sleeve to watch the scuffs glimmer from the fresh polish he had rubbed into it the day before. He sighed and let his arm rest on the table after covering it back up with his jacket. It was still useable, so it was nothing to worry about.

He looked up suddenly as the sound of footsteps approaching drifted across his ears. He watched warily as Havoc appeared from behind a bookshelf, hands in his pockets, a grin on his face that suggested he wanted something. He was about to open his mouth to ask what the lieutenant wanted when he saw a second blonde head quickly run to catch up to Havoc, staying by his side. 'That's the kid from the hospital,' Edward realized.

"Hey, boss," Havoc greeted once he was close enough to whisper. He glanced at the title of the book Edward had been reading. Introduction to Advanced Quantum Physics. "A little light reading, boss?"

"You want something," Edward accused, raising one eyebrow.

Havoc grinned. "It's not that too big of a deal, boss. I just need you too look after this kid for a bit." He motioned to the blonde teen hovering next to him. "While I'm at HQ."

Edward watched Havoc intently, knowing nothing in the older man's face would betray what he really felt. "Aren't you supposed to watch him?"

Havoc was about to say something, when a soft, quivering voice rose from the teen, "It's all right. I don't want to bother anyone..."

Edward looked the teen over, feeling an odd movement in his chest head only felt once before as he attempted to look into his eyes. The other boy was huddled into himself, tugging the collar of his shirt over his shoulder and the band of his pants up his waist as both articles of clothing tried to sink away. The movement gave of a distinct smoky smell, and Edward didn't have to think too hard to guess that those clothes had once been Havoc's. His hair was messy, and looked like it had only been half washed once in the past month or so. Suddenly, he grinned and leaned back in his chair. "It's no bother. I don't mind at all."

"Great," Havoc interjected. "I'll see you later, boss. You too, Naruto."

Naruto gave a shy little wave, and Edward called quietly after the man, "Have fun being yelled at."

Havoc just gave a lazy wave over his shoulder as he strolled out of the library. Naruto blinked owlishly after him and turned to Edward, fidgeting momentarily before asking in that same, soft voice, "Why is Havoc- _dono_ going to be yelled at?"

"'Cause he's late," Edward replied, picking up his book once again. Flipping open to the right page, Edward smiled at Naruto, saying, "It's nice to meet you, Naruto."

Naruto blushed and looked away, toying with the ends of his sleeves. His eyes picked over the vast amounts of books tucked up neatly onto the shelves and the obscene amount of books stacked up around Edward on the small table. The only clear place left was the small spot in front of the boy, which was just big enough to rest his arms in. All the English words were making his eye blur. He could speak the language well enough, but reading – in any language – still managed to elude him. He reached out tentatively, picking up one of Edward's books closest to him and watched the boy, alert to any sign that he was about to be yelled at for defiling anything that human beings would want to ever touch again. When Edward continued to read and no such reaction arose, Naruto opened to a random page and looked at all the squiggles. Some of the letters he recognized, but without the knowledge to put them together, he was lost.

The sound of metal clinking together reached his ears and Naruto hastily replaced the book. Edward looked up at the soft noise that was made and looked around, grinning when he saw a tall suit of silver armor approaching, a single book in its arms.

"Hey, Al," Edward greeted, and Naruto watched warily. "Did you find anything?"

"Just this, big brother." Alphonse handed the book to Edward. "It's a biography of Nicholas Flamel. He was supposed to be the guy who…" The helmet that served as Alphonse's head tilted slightly. "Who's your new friend, big brother?"

Edward looked aver at Naruto, who was once again trying to hide away in Havoc's shirt. "Ah, this is Naruto. Naruto, this is my little brother, Alphonse."

Naruto watched the suit of armor warily, before bowing and murmuring, "Watashi ha watashi no so**n**zai o gama**n** shi nakere ba nara nai koto o za**n**ne**n** de aru."

"Woah," Edward and Alphonse breathed, blinking at the rapid words. Naruto blushed and looked away from their eyes, biting his lip slightly.

"What was that?" Alphonse asked. "Was that Xingian?"

Naruto shook his head. "It was Japanese. It's my native language."

"Really?" The armor shifted excitedly. "Do you think you could teach me?"

"Teach you…?"

"Japanese."

Naruto bit his lip. Surely there were others fluent in Japanese somewhere in this land. Anything he taught himself would probably be completely wrong. But the way Alphonse shifted in his seat and the way his fingers began to intertwine with each other revealed just how excited the boy was at the prospect of learning something. Naruto gave a faint nod and said, "I'll tach you to speak it."

"Yay," Alphonse cheered quietly. Suddenly he paused in thought. "If you're going to teach me, there must be something I can do for you…"

Edward watched the other two over the top of his book. He wanted to reprimand Alphonse for bothering Naruto instead of helping research the Stone, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He just looked so happy when Naruto had agreed. Plus Edward knew that a scientist was always learning – even if it had nothing to do with the subject at hand. Edward smiled to himself and flipped the page without reading it, already having memorized it from long before.

Naruto fidgeted as Alphonse thought. The other boy (he assumed it was a boy under the armor) was being far to kind to something like him. Already Naruto knew he was going to destroy whatever knowledge he might have gained from a competent teacher, but now he was forcing Alphonse to do something for him.

"You don't have to do anything for me," Naruto told Alphonse.

"Nonsense," Alphonse stated. "You're going to teach me something so I have to teach you something. Just let me think about what it could be…"

"Hey, Naruto," Edward said suddenly, closing his book and putting it aside. "Would you hand me Gems and Stones? You're closest to it."

Naruto looked at the spines of the books stacked haphazardly upon one another. His fingers twitched as he looked at the odd shapes splayed all over them. He could recognize the letter 'G', but he wasn't sure if "gems" started with that or a 'J'. He could feel the eyes of Edward and Alphonse on him and so he hurriedly snatch up the book closest to him and handed it over.

Edward took the book (Just Alchemy Vol. VII) and set it aside, watching Naruto intensely. "You can't read English, can you?"

Naruto blushed and turned away. There was a pause of awkward silence before Alphonse clapped his hands. "That's it," he said. "You can teach me Japanese and I'll teach you to read English. Is that ok with you?"

Naruto looked at Alphonse in amazement. No one had ever offered to teach him something before. And no one had ever sounded so happy to do it. He felt himself blush and from within his stomach he felt a swell of gratitude for Alphonse. He heard Edward laugh softly and his heart began to race as the blonde said, "You'd better be careful, Naruto. Alphonse can be a harsh teacher sometimes."

"Not as harsh as you can be," Alphonse accused, a smile in his voice.

"Shut up, Al," Edward mock-pouted before chuckling.

As he listened to the brothers bickering, Naruto felt himself relaxing and even smiling softly. For the first time in a long time, there was the feeling of happiness rising in his heart that had once been buried deep within him. And this time, Naruto didn't fight to keep it away.

* * *

I don't own FMA or Naruto or anything else recognizable. So, till next time! 


	7. Elrics

Colonel Mustang looked up from the document that was supposed to have been signed the other day when he heard the sound of heels clicking together in attention. He glanced up lazily, as though he were annoyed at the distraction, and frowned at Lieutenant Havoc. He allowed the man to stand in the uncomfortable position for a few moments longer before stating, "At ease." When the blonde fell into the relaxed-looking stance, Mustang continued. "You're late."

"I'm aware of that, sir." Havoc wished he dared reach for a cigarette, but Mustang was glaring.

"And the child is not with you."

"I'm aware of that too, sir." His fingers twitched.

"And your explanation is?"

"If the child is indeed hiding something from us, it wouldn't be a good idea to have him where he could overhear anything confidential."

Mustang nodded once. "Then where did you leave him?"

"With Edward and Alphonse Elric, sir. They are both trained to protect themselves in case the child should attempt to harm them."

Mustang paused before nodding again. "Sensible. And now your oral report."

Havoc stood at attention once more. "During surveillance of the child Naruto Uzumaki, there have been no signs of suspicious behavior. However, further investigation may be necessary for complete analysis."

"And Uzumaki is to remain under your watch?"

"Yes." Havoc coughed. "About that sir…" Mustang raised an eyebrow in a 'go on' motion. "I will need a cost of living adjustment for Uzumaki. I barely make enough for myself as it is, and I will need to support the child as well…"

Mustang growled. "I am not filling out any more paperwork for you." Havoc sighed internally and prepared to leave, when the colonel continued. "But if I let you fill it out, you'll just try to weasel yourself more money." He sighed. "Fine. Dismissed, Lieutenant. You'll see your adjustment in your next check."

Havoc saluted. "Thank you, sir." With the stressful show of respect over with, Havoc reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Letting it dangle between his lips, he left the colonel's office and pulled out a lighter when he reached his desk.

"Did I just hear you ask the Colonel for a raise?" Breda asked with a grin as Havoc inhaled. "And did I just hear him give it to you?"

A wave of white smoke drifted past Havoc's smirking lips. "I didn't ask for a raise - I asked for a 'cost of living adjustment'."

Breda chuckled to himself. "I stand corrected."

* * *

Havoc waved cheerily to the librarian behind the desk, pointedly ignoring the way she glared at the unlit cigarette that was resting between his lips. He gave her a wink and she made a disgusted face, pretending to gag. Instead of being offended, as any other man would have been, he just chuckled to himself. He knew the librarian - he'd asked her out four months ago only to be informed that she was a lesbian - and as well knew her sense of humor. If she had acted any other way he would have been upset.

He swaggered his way up to the desk and plopped his elbows on a sign-in pad that everyone ignored. He moved the cigarette to the opposite corner of his mouth with his tongue and asked in a flirtatious tone, "Would a pretty lady like you happen to know where I can find the Elric brothers?"

"This pretty lady might have the information if you stop acting like an ass," she responded in the same sickly-sweet voice.

"But then where's the fun in that?"

He continued to grin as she glared. He could feel his shoulders shaking and noticed the minute twitching of her lips. He wasn't sure how long he would hold out, but damned if he was letting her win again.

It was the very moment that the librarian stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes that Havoc bit into his cigarette to muffle his laughter. In his mind he cursed her, promising himself that he would win their staring contest the next time she started one up. The woman flashed him a triumphant grin and told Havoc, "The Elrics have only been to my end of the library once today and that was to return a few books they checked out last week. Other than that, they've been holed up in the reference section reading all that science gibberish."

"And the other boy? I know you saw me bring him in here?"

The librarian frowned in thought, glancing off to the thick novel she had been reading before Havoc had entered. "The blonde boy with the blue eyes?" Havoc nodded and suddenly she brightened. "Yeah, I remember now. He came in with you today and after that I haven't seen hide nor hair of him. If he's not here, then he must have left through an emergency exit."

"Thanks, sweets," Havoc said, leaning over the desk to give her a peck on the cheek.

The librarian made a gagging sound and told his retreating back, "I told you already that you can only call me that if you bring some!"

Havoc waved lazily over his shoulder as he made his way through the shelves of books, taking a mental note that the next time he entered the library on her work hours he would have to bring some candy. But the musky smell of old and new books was beginning to give him a bit of a headache, which was only adding to the dull throb that had begun at work when he'd had to sit through form after form, reading the tiny print. Vaguely he hoped that when Mustang became the Fuhrer he would mandate that the print size on forms would be bigger than the tiny mashing together of letters that was the norm now.

The reverberating sound of a young boy's voice brought him back to reality and he looked on as he approached the trio of children gathered at a table that seemed to be sinking under the weight of all the books on it's surface. He paused momentarily as smiled as he watched Alphonse say something to Naruto only to have the blonde say something back and crumple up a piece of paper in frustration. Beside him, Edward said something and Naruto made a face as he pulled a clean sheet of paper from the tiny stack next to him. All over the floor were wadded and torn paper balls and pens with no more ink left in them. Bits of pencils were scattered amongst the books as well, some that were no more than stubs, some that had their erasers chewed clean off and some that had been snapped in half.

Havoc saw Alphonse motioning to something and then drawing it in the air. Naruto watched intently and carefully traced out the same shape on the paper in front of him. Edward looked at the paper and made a face that meant that he was trying not to laugh too hard. Naruto scowled at the other blonde, making him sigh in exasperation. Something was said between the two boys that made Edward glare in determination. He reached out and grabbed Naruto's hand in his own, tracing out the correct shape on the paper.

A smile crossed Havoc's face as he witnessed the scene. He was almost certain that the flash of humanity he had seen in the hospital had been a fluke, but now he relaxed. Naruto was a human with the same human thoughts and feelings. It was nice to know that there was something in his life that could actually make the boy happy.

"Hey boss," he greeted as loud as the library would let him. He tried to hide the surprise he felt when Edward turned to him blushing. He would have never thought that the boy could get so embarrassed as to turn red. Havoc approached the table and, without thinking, playfully mussed Naruto's hair. "What're you up to."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the man playfully, though there was a warm light in his eyes and a light dusting of red on his cheeks. "Nothing."

"Looks to me like something." Havoc put his hands on top of Naruto's head as though he were an armrest and looked over him at the paper. "Is that a Q?"

Naruto scowled and puffed out his cheeks, which made him greatly resemble a frog. "It's supposed to be an A."

"Looks like a Q," Havoc teased.

"I think it looks more like a B," Edward added, smiling in mock-innocence when Naruto turned a glare on him.

"Then you people just don't know how to read properly. That's an A plain as the sky is blue."

"Actually it's pretty grey out today," Havoc quipped, laughing when Naruto scowled again. It was nice - Naruto actually acting like a human.

Naruto shook his head to make Havoc remove his arms and stood up, nearly stumbling at the sudden deadness in his legs. "What time is it, Havoc-_dono_?"

"Quarter till six."

Naruto blinked, he hadn't realized that he'd been sitting all day.

"Really?" Edward asked. He turned thoughtful for a moment. "Well, there's still four hours until the library closes."

"No way, boss," Havoc began, making Edward and Alphonse look up at him. "If what Angel said is true, you haven't eaten anything all day." He looked at Naruto and smiled. "You want to get something to eat?"

Naruto grinned. "I'm game." He looked at the brothers. "Come on, Elric-_san_, Elric-_sensei."_

Edward scowled, tucking away the Japanese in his mind so that he could look it up later. He was about to refuse when he felt a metal hand on his flesh shoulder. "Come on, brother, I know you're hungry. And if you don't eat then you can't read."

"Oh, all right," Edward sighed, though internally he was glad. He wouldn't mind getting up and stretching. After all, it wasn't like they'd found anything on the Philosopher's Stone they didn't already know.

"Right then," Havoc said as he ushered the boys out the door. "What do you want?" He was curious as to what Naruto actually liked to eat.

Naruto looked around the unfamiliar street bathed in gold from the near-setting sun. Street lamps were already being turned on, and lights in the stores were flickering to life. Strange scents assaulted his sensitive nose and he felt a pang of homesickness that was quickly washed away by a wave of red heat from his stomach and the most wonderful scent ever to drift past his nose. His eyes looked up and down the street before locking on to a small, run-down looking building with odd letters inscribed on a banner overtop the doorway. "There!" He decreed. "That one."

Havoc considered the building. He'd always known it was there, but had never actually gone inside. He looked at Edward, knowing Alphonse wouldn't care since he couldn't eat anyhow, and asked, "Is that all right with you?"

"Sure," Edward replied flippantly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He too was curious as to what it was that made the blonde boy so excited.

Naruto cheered happily and all but bounced across the road into the building, the other three following closely behind. He pushed the door open, a small bell jingling to signal his presence, and his mouth watered as the scent washed over him, even stronger than before. The store inside was just as small as it appeared, with only two empty tables and a long bar that stretched along the back wall, hiding behind it pots and pans and a man boiling something in water. Stools were lined up at the bar and the only other patron was tall enough to have to hunch over to eat his food.

Vaguely, he heard Havoc and the brothers enter, but Naruto was more interested in miraculously finding the one stool that was actually balanced on it's legs and sniffing deeply. The man, in actuality the only chef on duty, turned just enough to have an eye on both the quartet of new customers and the dish he was preparing, and asked, "You guys need a menu?"

Havoc and Edward responded yes, but Naruto took a breath though his nose to sort through the scents and decreed happily, "One Bar-Be-Que Pork Ramen, _onegai_, with extra noodles."

The man blinked and then laughed heartily, reminding Naruto of another kind man that prepared the godly noodles. "Finally," he spoke as he turned away from the pot to grab a pair of menus for the two older blondes. "Someone who knows something about ramen."

* * *

I am determined to finish this– I even have nearly all the chapters planned out. So don't worry, loyal readers!

I don't own Naruto or FMA, so, till next time!


	8. Emotion

Naruto sighed in content as he flopped backwards onto the makeshift bed he'd created for himself almost a week ago. His stomach gurgled happily as it digested the ramen - all eleven bowls - he'd consumed earlier that night. It had been fun, sitting around and listening to Havoc and Alphonse joke about something that had happened in the newspaper that morning and hearing Edward spout on and on about how utterly unhealthy ramen was and demanding to know the exact amount of ingredients that went into the spices almost all the way down to milligrams. Naruto had listened to the conversations and asked questions, learning about the local government and the vague majority of what it had done in the past fifty or so years. Edward had been amazed to find that Naruto wasn't even sure what a military was, let alone how it managed to rule over a country.

"Most everyone knows the Amestris military whether or not they like them," Alphonse had informed Naruto.

"But doesn't the military keep them safe?" Naruto remembered asking, taking the English word he had never heard before and tasting the way it felt on his lips.

"It's what we're supposed to," Havoc had responded. "But sometimes the only way to keep peace is to kill and decent people are always opposed to killing."

Looking back on that word now, and the connotations surrounding it by both the people it described and the way people viewed it, a swell of emotion and memories flew at him, attaching Naruto's brain and tightening his throat in a harsh knot. The people of this land treated the military just as the people of his land treated _shinobi_. He found it suddenly hard to keep a smile on his face and a dark despair fell over him. Tears welled in his eyes and the warm food in his stomach suddenly turned to lead, dragging his insides down into his feet.

He began to remember suddenly all the joy he had felt before, sitting at Ichiraku with Iruka, laughing and talking with him, sharing what he'd done that day and pretending not to listen to the lecture as he'd seen Havoc and Edward do. He remembered how happy he'd been on the off days with Team 7, hanging out with Sasuke and Sakura with Kakashi to watch over them, lazily acting like he wasn't watching their every movement so that they didn't manage to hurt themselves. He remembered on those days how easy it was to talk to Sakura without being hit and how nice it was to hang around Sasuke without being called a "loser" or something such, and he suddenly thought of how much those times felt like just now, when he listened to and talked with the Elrics.

He bit into his lip deep enough to draw blood and held his breath to keep a sob down. He knew Havoc had taken to his own bed and Naruto didn't want to wake him – if the military here was anything as demanding as he knew ninja life had been, Havoc deserved every second of sleep and a pathetic beast like Naruto had no right to steal away any precious time. He already felt horrible enough, remembering how, on the way back to Havoc's apartment, the taller man had mentioned buying Naruto new clothing.

'He shouldn't have to,' Naruto thought, selfishly grabbing the pillow he'd been allowed to use and holding it tightly. 'Anything I touch should be burned. I'm surprised he hasn't tried to burn down the room with me still in it to try and get rid of whatever vile taint I brought in here.'

He buried his face into the soft cloth, feeling it wet as tears soaked into the fabric. He bit into his tongue to keep from whimpering and sniveling pathetically, lest anyone hear him and think they should pity him. It would be best for everyone if, at the very least, they ignored him and allowed him to drift away into nothingness.

* * *

He was aware of cold wetness around his ankles before anything else, too lost in trying not to bring about any more evil by existing. His breath hitched in his throat and he looked around at the damp, dank corridor, the scent of mildew assaulting his nose. He swallowed the saliva in his mouth harshly, trying to fight it past the knot in his throat, when he noticed that he was closer than he'd ever been to what he usually called the Fox's den. 

He didn't know what had possessed him to retreat within himself. Even here there was still something else that could be affected by him – something that was still purer than he had ever been. He felt like crying again. Was there nowhere he could go to get away from everything? Nowhere he could go to keep from contaminating someone else?

The near-dead blue light from his chakra weave was a faint shimmer off to one side, anything but the proud symbol of strength it had once been, but still it called it him. It begged him to come closer, if only to take it back and let it rest. A deep voice, gruff and rumbling, echoed toward him, "I can feel you there, brat. If you have anything to say, don't be a wussy and come here and say it to my face."

But Naruto was too ashamed. He couldn't bear to look upon the Fox again, knowing that it was cleaner than he. But still, he thought, maybe the Fox would be able to do something about him. Maybe he could finally get some rest…

The water sloshed in his shoes as he traversed the short distance to the front of the seal, the rusty-looking gates glowing eerily with the light of Naruto's chakra. Beyond them, a single crimson eye watched him lazily, looking him up and down before the sound of a snort reached his ears.

"You've been moping again, haven't you?"

Naruto looked away. Without speaking, he reached out and absorbed the chakra back in to his body. The rush of energy almost made him stagger, but he caught himself just in time, then wondered who he was trying to impress. Red chakra snaked out the bars like liquid, ghosting over the surface of the water before it reached him and absorbed itself into his skin. All of a sudden, the den wasn't as cold or dreary as it had been. Naruto allowed himself the selfish moment to bask in the warmth before shaking it off.

"You really should stop that."

"And who are you to tell a demon what to do?" More redness poured from behind the bars, but Naruto stepped back defiantly and glared at it. The chakra paused as though confused and the Fox growled out, "Boy, stop being a little bitch. If someone offers you some damn comfort, you should just take it. Don't think I don't fucking know what's going on up there."

Naruto clenched his fists. "If you know so much then why do you think I deserve anything?! You think I deserve to be happy after what I did?!"

Both eyes turned to him now, glowing with a bloody fire. He expected to be yelled at again, expected the pearly claws to reach out to try and tear him to bits. But instead what he got was an icy coldness that seemed to frost the very water he stood in. "Do you think that applies here? Can you tell me of one person here that knows what you are?"

Naruto opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His mind raced to find something that would prove it wrong, something that would prove that he had no place in civilized society or even life at all. But he could think of nothing.

"That, that lady..." he began weakly.

"She was a whore," was the flippant response. Again the Fox turned so that only one eye looked upon him. "It's a fresh start here - no one knows anything about you here except what you've told them. So reinvent yourself. Have a ball." There was a shifting as the Fox curled up within itself.

"But..." Naruto bit his lip. "Isn't pretending not to be a monster a greater sin than being one?"

There was no response for a long time, and just as Naruto thought that the Fox had fallen asleep, its melancholy words drifted to him, "I don't think there can be a greater sin than being made of evil itself..."

Naruto bit his lip and looked away, suddenly ashamed. Not only from the Fox's words, but the knowledge that he would take it to heart. Tomorrow, he knew, there would be a brand new Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

Edward grinned up at Naruto, whose mouth was agape at the sight of the large stone carousel. The, amazingly, shorter blonde then laughed and scratched the back of his head. "I've been watching you do this alchemy stuff for a month now, and I still can't get over it. It's really amazing."

Edward beamed, putting his hands on his hips and grinning. "It's not all that hard, really. You just have to study."

Naruto made a face. "I'd rather just be amazed all the time than have to study any more than I already am."

Edward clapped his hands together and returned the carousel to the sunset-drenched street it had once been. "I hear that Alphonse has been trying to get you to start reading novels. How's that coming along?"

Naruto began walking away, heading toward the apartment complex he shared with Havoc still. Edward didn't hesitate to join him, the two blondes strolling leisurely along the sidewalk. "Pretty good, I guess. I just wish Alphonse-_sensei_ wouldn't choose such boring books. Do you know how much of a hassle Shakespeare is?"

Edward laughed as Naruto mock-growled and pretended to strangle something in front of him. "I don't know. If what Al says is right, you're just about ready to start tearing up the library."

Naruto paused his dramatics long enough to blush lightly. "I didn't say I _hated_ reading. Some of it's just impossible to read."

"The letters are still giving you trouble?"

"Not the letters - the words. Long and complicated and they don't mean the same thing now as they did then so that's doubly confusing."

Edward just grinned and patted Naruto on top of the head in playful pity, something he had taken to doing once he realized that he was a full inch taller than the other boy. Naruto growled and swatted Edward's hand away, not even wincing when he hit the metal.

He tried not to think about it - how strong he'd been before. That was something he would have to keep from his old life into this new one. That and the chakra. But chakra was easy enough to hide from all prying eyes. The only thing he had to worry about with it, however, was when it built up enough and he would have to go find a secluded place to tear through _jutsu_ after _jutsu_ until he burned himself almost completely out, leaving just enough left so that he could drag himself back to his bed and collapse on it. Otherwise, all the pent up energy would build up until something drastic happened to him and he was sure that whatever was sure to follow would not be good.

He ignored the warmth in his stomach, deciding it was better to think that he was hungry rather than what it might be that the Fox wanted. So he turned to Edward and asked with a smile, "Are you and Alphonse-_ sensei_ going to come over again for dinner? I think this time Havoc-_dono_'s competent enough to _not_ set water on fire."

Edward laughed, but shook his head. "Can't tonight. Me and Al just discovered a new clue. We're heading out tomorrow to see if there's anything to it." Naruto thought he knew what Edward was talking about, but there was still so much mystery surrounding the brothers. All he knew for certain was that Alphonse was empty, Edward had metal limbs, and the two were searching for a way to heal themselves. A wistful thought entered Naruto's head as he contemplated the words, 'I wish I could know more about them...'

Instead of allowing himself to drift back down into self-loathing, Naruto forced himself to smile. "That's fine. Are you at least going to continue our lessons?" He was referring to the faux-course in Japanese he was attempting to teach. If the brothers didn't learn so fast, he wouldn't have had as much of a problem coming up with lesson plans.

Edward wanted to yell at Naruto, but couldn't find the hypocrisy within himself. It wasn't like he hadn't given his share of plastic smiles and false words before. "We'll try when we get back. But you might want to think of teaching Lieutenant Havoc a bit more before he starts trying to teach Colonel Bastard and the others curse words."

"If he's been paying attention, he already knows them," Naruto claimed, laughing softly. 'It's amazing,' he thought to himself, 'how easily I can relax around him. How human I can feel. As though I...' A surge of warmth from his navel, as though the Fox were attempting to confirm what he refused to think himself. He blushed and turned his head away from Edward, not noticing how the other blue reddened slightly.

Beside Naruto, Edward was glaring at the cracks in the sidewalk, silently demanding to know why his stomach suddenly decided to start fluttering uncontrollably. The only response his body gave him was a rush of heat to his cheeks. The only other time he could ever recall feeling like this was when he was four and discovered that there was someone that lived across the street from his house. 'Winry did this to me and now Naruto is doing it too. There has to be some reason for it,' Edward thought. But the only comparison he could make was that they were both blonde. 'But Havoc's blonde and I don't feel like this around him. Then why Naruto...?'

Before either boy knew it, they stood outside the apartment complex's front gates. Without looking at each other, lest the other notice their blush, both blurted at the same time, "This is where--"

Naruto coughed and Edward almost gagged as both quickly swallowed their words. Silence reigned over them, and neither knew how to fill it.

"This is my stop," Naruto began weakly, scratching the back of his head. Edward was quiet still and suddenly, unbridled, a memory flashed in his mind of the time Iruka had taken him, only eight-years-old, to a movie. He'd been confused through most of the thing, but what stood out most was one scene. A young man had taken a young girl out and they had wandered around town for some reason, eating at some big restaurant that, he specifically remembered complaining to Iruka, didn't look like it served ramen, and then he had taken her home and kissed her at the front door. It had been the grossest scene he'd ever witnessed, and all Iruka did was laugh at him, telling him he'd understand the movie later.

Well, that later was now, apparently, as a wave of emotion flowed over him - joy at being with Edward, depression at the memory of Iruka, wonder at what was going to happen next and embarrassment over the stupid line he'd just said. He bit into his lip and asked softly, "Will I see you before you go?"

Edward pulled himself from his internal argument long enough to respond with, "Probably not. We're leaving out before sunrise, since those are the cheapest tickets." He glanced up to see Naruto's crestfallen expression and he looked away guiltily. "But it shouldn't take more than a week. And I'll be sure you're the first person I see when we get back."

Naruto smiled again, but this time it was genuine. His heart fluttered and the Fox within in seemed content for the first time in a long time. "I'll hold you to that, Ed-_kun_."

**

* * *

**I don't own Naruto or FMA. So, till next time! 


	9. Rain

Naruto looked out the window into the wavering grey sky, attempting to count every drop of rain that splattered against the glass. Behind him, there was the vaguely familiar bustle, murmured words all blending into each other to create one never-ending sound. He could see a shadow of a reflection in the window, a sea of blue ghosted on a sea of grey.

"Useless," a blonde woman was saying. He wasn't sure, but Naruto thought that she looked fairly familiar.

Havoc nodded in agreement to the statement, and a stout redhead said something too soft for Naruto to hear, but it made the others laugh - a nervous titter to what would have normally passed for light-heartedness. Naruto wasn't sure what anyone else thought of the situation, but he knew what he felt well enough.

He was depressed. Edward and Alphonse had left Central almost two-and-a-half weeks ago and, aside the first letter that had arrived two days after their departure, there was no word from them. It was enough to drive Naruto back into his depression, if he didn't get yelled at every time by the Fox. 'He promised me he'd see me,' Naruto whined mentally, hoping the Fox would hear him. 'But he hasn't come back at all. Do you think... do you think he found out? Do you think he hates me now? Because I lied, or because I tried to cover up the lie? I bet he never wants to see me ever again...'

Naruto's self-pitying tirade would have continued if not for the harsh jolt of red heat within his stomach that made him jump and yelp in surprise.

"Are you all right over there, Naruto?" Havoc asked, quirking an eyebrow. The boy had been doing things like that for a while now; it was starting to become worrisome.

Naruto turned away from the window to face Havoc, the heat in his stomach suddenly a pleasant warmth. "I'm all right, Havoc-_dono_. I'm just worried about Ed-_kun_. He should have been back by now, right?"

"Should have," Havoc responded. "Sometimes he gets caught up in things, though."  
"Like what?" Naruto wanted to know.

"Blowing up buildings, rebelling against governments, denouncing leaders, the usual stuff," the redhead said, a grin on his face and worry in his voice.

Naruto worried at his lip with his teeth. "Is he going to be ok, do you think?"

"Nothing a day or so in the hospital wouldn't cure," the woman informed Naruto. At the mention of a hospital, Naruto remembered where he first encountered the lady and his eyes widened. Momentarily, he was angry that she hadn't been around when Alphonse had requested Japanese training from him. But that feeling subsided with the thought that, if he hadn't been teaching Alphonse, Naruto would have never gotten to have spent all that time with Edward.

"If you say so..." Naruto mumbled, but there was a look to her that made him trust that she knew what to do if anything did, in fact, happen to go wrong. He gave Havoc a reassuring smile and turned his attention back to the window, trying to remember where he had left off with the raindrops.

* * *

Alphonse ran through the rain, glad, not for the first time, that he couldn't be winded. But he could still slip. Due to force of habit, he gasped when his foot fell the wrong way on a puddle and he was sent to the ground, stunned not because he could physically be hurt, but instead because him mind knew that he should have been. 

Thoughts flashed through his consciousness, the first and foremost of them that he needed to get up and the next that he had to get moving again before the rain could seep into his body and wash away the blood seal. And if that washed away there would be no one who could...

Alphonse all but threw himself back to his feet and began to run again, the twisted metal of his ankle bothering him no more than if it was on someone else's body.

* * *

Hawkeye sat calmly at her desk, reading over forms that had been taken out of Mustang's office to double check that they had actually been signed and signed properly. Around her, Havoc, Breda, and Furey were lounging around, attempting to look like they were doing something productive. She could feel the tension in the air so thick, it would probably halt a bullet in mid-air if she fired one off. The blonde child, Naruto she recalled, was shifting and twitching every once in a while, but he continued to keep post at the window, moving away only to use the bathroom or say something to Havoc. 

Every time a door creaked or a hinge squealed, her eyes would fly up to the door to Mustang's office, waiting for something. She wasn't sure what it was quite yet, but she knew that the Colonel would be right in what it was. He would be able to be the one who would calm the storm.

"Something's moving," was the only announcement Naruto made before he shot straight up. Hawkeye fixed her gaze on him and was trailing on his heels seconds after be bolted from the room.

Hawkeye's hand was on the hilt of her gun as she wove through the sudden throngs of people in the HQ. She should have expected there to be more people inside what with all the rain that hadn't let up since daybreak. She hardly apologized to anyone, even if she had to push them out of her way, knowing it was more important to keep her eye on the child than keeping up good relations right now.

He ran out the front door and into the rain and, she was certain, he would have run down the stairs if the moving object he had seen hadn't run up to meet him. Suddenly, Hawkeye's attention was focused on the battered and worn suit of armor rather than Naruto. "Alphonse, what happened?"

"Lieutenant Hawkeye," Al gasped, not realizing he didn't need to. "It's big brother. Something awful happened!"

Hawkeye moved here hands away from her gun and reached out to Alphonse. "Come inside before the rain washes you away."

"I have to tell the Colonel," Alphonse stated, attempting to follow the Lieutenant but falling on the twisted metal that was once his ankle.

Hawkeye reached for him, but Naruto reached Alphonse first, pulling him to his feet and all but dragging the armor out from the rain.

"What's going on here?" a cool voice questioned once the dripping armor was seated on the carpet.

Alphonse looked up at Colonel Mustang and exclaimed in a quivering voice, "Big brother needs help!"

A thoughtful glint appeared in coal black eyes, and Mustang looked down on Alphonse, continuing to demand, "What happened?"

"We followed the clue we found," Alphonse began. Behind him, Furey had appeared with a notepad to jot down the details of what was to follow. "And we ended up in the Briggs Mountains and we didn't know it but it wasn't a clue – it was a trap! A bunch of guys attacked us and they took big brother and tried to get me, but big brother told me to run and so I did and he needs help!"

Without even a moment's hesitation after Alphonse fell quiet, Mustang commanded, "Lieutenant Hawkeye and Lieutenant Havoc - I want you on the first train to the Briggs Mountain range. Alphonse, which station were you dropped off at?"

"The Eastern Platform - big brother was taken away about three miles away. I saw them head north, but I don't know where they ended up because they attacked me too and big brother kept yelling at me."

Mustang nodded once to silence Alphonse once more and stated simply, " Breda, contact the northern military base for backup. Have them search the mountain range for anywhere that might hide Fullmetal. Now!" Breda saluted once and ran off, hi-jacking a phone booth and immediately dialing in the necessary number.

"And you, Colonel?" Furey asked, not yet looking up from his notes. He knew that if he did, they would see just how scared he was for the young blonde.

"I, myself, will accompany the Lieutenants. Furey, take Naruto someplace secure."

Furey saluted, but Naruto looked up and snarled, "No! I'm going too!"

Mustang looked directly into Naruto's suddenly crimson eyes, hiding the surprise he felt at their sudden color change, and informed the child, "It's not safe for you to go."

"Like hell it is!" Naruto clenched his fists, and blood dripped down his knuckles as suddenly too-sharp nails bit into his flesh. "If you keep me here, I'll just follow you anyway - don't think I won't!"

"It takes four days to walk and a day and a half by train to get to the mountains," Mustang stated. This fiery will he found himself against pained him, especially when he thought of another that might have just been extinguished.

"Then I guess you'll just have to meet me there." The Colonel wondered how they had never noticed the whisker-like scars on Naruto's face when they were so deep and prominent, as though flowing with a promise of death. He weighed the options, thoughts ranging from conspiracy to demon to guardian angel in flashes, and then nodded.

"You are to stay out of the way of the military. We will bring you, but not record you nor be responsible for you. If you are injured or die, no one will know you went with us."

"Good enough for me."

* * *

The Fox prowled in its cage, never having noticed before just how close the walls were to it. Red chakra poured out in waves, staining the water bloody and heating it to near boiling. A wordless shriek echoed throughout the corridors and the bars of the seal reverberated. They were weak enough now that a single push would topple them over completely, allowing the Fox freedom. 

Tails flicked, and the memory of earthquakes once caused flashed to the forefront of the Fox's consciousness. A wicked grin that revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth shaped the demon's expression and the water hissed, billowing steam that clung to the rusty walls. They would pay. Oh, yes, they would pay.

Anyone who harmed Edward and caused Naruto such pain would pay dearly.

* * *

So that everyone knows how my "plans" work out, when I began this chapter, there were two chapters left to this story. Now, there are three left to go. Lord knows how many will be left by the time I get to next chapter. 

I don't own FMA or Naruto. So, till next time!


	10. Train

The train rumbled and vibrated violently, jostling everyone around and almost throwing them all out of their chairs. The scenery, once lush and green trees and hills, had cleared away to the dull brown and grey of rocks and stones. Beside him, he could feel Hawkeye methodically pulling apart and cleaning her gun, checking each piece over meticulously. On his other side, Havoc was breathing in his third cigarette in two hours. Across from him, Mustang sat with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.

Naruto couldn't stand it.

He wanted nothing more than to leap out of one of the windows and run along side the train to see if he could move any faster. His fingers were twitching and he was chewing on the sides of his tongue, fighting away the feeling that he was about to explode with chakra. Every once in a while, he would catch a wisp of red seeping from his skin, but he would always catch it and pull it back within himself. He didn't want to waste anything before those bastards that hurt Edward got their comeuppance.

He knew that his eyes were red and that the scars on his cheeks were much more prominent than usual, but he welcomed the changes. His mind teetered on the edge of primal instinct, but he refused to deluge over too soon. Not where there were still at least fifteen hours left on the train.

* * *

Edward looked into the utter darkness that surrounded him. His flesh fingers twitched uselessly, the movement only serving to remind him that the limb was still there. There was a fuzziness to his arm, though, as a combined result of the rope tied tight and the placement of his arm above his heart. The forced tingling of un-circulating blood was uncomfortable, but a welcome to the pain that others forced on him. At least this he could control. 

A door opened and he was suddenly blinded with light. He tore his gaze away to the pile of metal and wires in the corner of the room that had once served at his arm and leg. If he focused on that long enough, maybe the person would go away.

The shifting of the bed he was tied to and the pressure of another being on his flesh informed him of just how wrong he could be.

* * *

The Fox eyed the bars of the seal, amazement deep within its being that they had stayed together for so long. A tail snaked out and pushed lightly on one of the rusted-looking bars and it fell, splashing into the boiling water and raising a wave of red. Crimson eyes blinked at the frailty and a grin formed. It wanted to try the other bars to see if they were equally as weak, but it stopped itself. 

The shadow of the Fox shifted, shrinking and collapsing in upon itself. Just as it appeared that it would go out like the flame on a candle, a pair of pale arms, looking as gentle and lithe as a bird's wings, reached through the hole in the seal. Slender fingertips twitched, drawing the bar close enough to grasp. With a strength that belied the frail look of the limbs, the bar was yanked up to balance in the spot it had once resided in.

It was too early now, the Fox told itself, looking out into its muggy den with a pair of human eyes. But soon…

* * *

Naruto was on his feet the moment he felt the train begin to slow. His glittering eyes and the presence of military personnel around him prevented any other patrons from approaching him and telling him to sit down until the train came to a full stop. The only reason he didn't force his way out the door was the fact that Hawkeye had latched onto his shirt and was holding him in place. 

"You must be patient," she informed him coolly. He would have snarled at her, but her other hand was resting on her freshly polished gun that sat in her lap. So instead, he merely waited, eyeing the windows impatiently, especially when Mustang and Havoc stood with and excruciating slowness. Eventually, Hawkeye let go of his shirt and he was ushered along the isle and out the door by Havoc.

Naruto's entire being was strumming with chakra, and each breath through his nose brought the unfamiliar and exotic scents of a less-than-populated mountain range that he knew he'd never be able to forget if he was paying attention. But he was more interested in finding anything that might relate to Edward - his scent, a flash of color, a familiar voice. He again felt Hawkeye close to him, grasping his shoulder so that he didn't run off without them, and he tried to ignore it.

Colonel Mustang looked around the military-owned station, eyes seeking though the sparse crowd and locking on two personnel dressed in the black and red uniform of the North branch. The two women - one tall brunette and the other a short blonde - noticed his gaze and quickly made their way over to him.

With a salute, the blonde quickly introduced, "Colonel Mustang, I am Lieutenant Colonel Rose and this," with a motion to the brunette, "is Major Wilson. We were contacted by Second Lieutenant Breda thirty hours ago and informed of your arrival, sir."

Mustang nodded once and the women relaxed into an at-ease position. "Have you been informed of our purpose as well?"

Lieutenant Colonel Rose didn't respond, but instead cast a curious glance in Naruto's direction. "Sir, do you have permission to speak in front of this civilian?"

Mustang glared. "I see no civilian, so speak."

Major Wilson caught on and nudged Rose with the toe of her boot. Rose's watched Naruto for a second more before turning her gaze away and focusing on Mustang as though there were no one else there. "I apologize, sir. Yes, we have been informed of your purpose. At North HQ we have prepared a map of the area, including places where we have already searched. If you will follow us, we will take you there for a quick briefing of what has happened so far."

Somewhere in Naruto's mind, he was paying attention to the conversation, but the main focus of his consciousness was on the sudden scent of steel and sweat and sun that he had come to identify so closely with Edward. his eyes swung around, taking in every corner and every wall of the station. As mustang and the two Lieutenants began to leave, Naruto found the trail of the scent - weak from being days old, but still strong enough to exist - and took off after it.

Lieutenant Colonel Rose clenched her hands and looked to Mustang when the child suddenly ran off. He was still calm as he had ever been, though his eyes flickered in the direction that he had run off in. She trusted his judgment, though, and didn't say a word, instead merely taking the trio from central to the military-issued, grey and black car that was waiting to take them to North Headquarters.

* * *

Naruto ran down the road, ignoring the crowds and the cars and the way they yelled at him whenever he had to shove them out of his way. His vision was hazy with red and he felt the minute pain that informed him that his pupils had changed into the demon's cat-like slits. The brown boots he'd been bought were uncomfortable now as his toenails hardened and sharpened into claws, tearing away at the rough leather. Deep inside, he apologized to Havoc for ruining his new cloths, but figured that he wouldn't mind too much. After all, he seemed to like Edward too. 

Chakra was dancing around his body like an electric aura, flicking away in crimson strands and clinging to whatever plant life was around. Grass blackened and began to smoke, trees heated internally to amazing temperatures until steam began to escape their leaves. The rock and dirt that made up most of the small town centered around the station began to quiver and melt into red hot trickles.

The townsfolk began to watch the mountains worriedly, wondering if there was indeed a demon on the loose as the stories of old used to say.

* * *

Havoc eyed the map of the Briggs Mountain Range that had been spread out before him, feeling Mustang and Hawkeye looking over his shoulders. It was a bit of a disconcerting feeling, but he ignored it in favor of allowing his eyes to trace over the sketchy lines that belied the pathways of the mines. He could hear the Lieutenant Colonel speaking, but was only vaguely paying attention. 

"There have been reports that a gang of bandits have taken refuge within the mine shafts. Women in our area have claimed to have been attacked, usually in this area." She pointed to an area that, by the map's standards, was only three or four miles away from the train station. "The gang is reported to be at least ten men strong and we suspect that their main lair is in the Cavern of the Winds."

"And where is that located?" Mustang asked. Havoc was suddenly all too glad that the Colonel was with them. He wasn't too sure that he would have been able to stay as calm as he had when Naruto had run off like that. His hands and legs were still itching to chase after the young charge, especially with the order he knew Mustang was sure to give - if the child had anything to do with this gang or Edward's disappearance, he was to be killed.

"Here," Major Wilson responded, in the same, shy-soft voice she always used. She pointed cautiously to a round bubble-like sketch. "It's a tourist attraction."

"It _was_," Rose corrected and Wilson seemed relieved that she could quiet again. "It was closed almost a year ago because the ceiling collapsed in and almost killed a few tourists. We assume that's the reason the gang moved in - no one was there to drive them off."

"Then that's where we'll search first. Gather as many men as you can spare and we'll head out tonight – at 2200 hours."

The Northern personnel saluted, and there was an organized rush to find and fill out the proper forms and alert the proper persons.

* * *

Edward's entire body ached. His muscles were sore from struggling as well as the awkward position he was held in, and he felt like he was frozen from the constant chill in the air. The metal plates on his skin that would have otherwise connected his automail merely served to freeze him more, draining what little heat his body still held. 

He was both glad for the darkness and terrified of it. He knew that as long as there was no light that there was no one in the same room to hurt him. However, there was always the possibility that someone would come in at any minute.

He didn't want to think it, but his mind supplied him anyway with, 'The suspense is going to kill me…'

* * *

You people should be glad – this was originally going to be a one-page teaser instead of a full-length chapter. And for all of you concerned about Konoha and what's going on there – I'm planning a sequel that will take care of that, so don't worry. 

Also, ignore my South Park referneces - I couldn't help myself.

I don't own Naruto or FMA, so, till next time!


	11. Mines

The sun was just a slight orange sliver in the horizon, the sky above stained with pinks, golds, and blues. The shadows cast by the mountains were long, shifting minutely as the last of the light died away to make room for the bleakness of a moonless night.

Naruto could feel his slit pupils expanding, taking in as much of the fading light as possible so that he could continue to see the red-hazed earth. His legs had been aching tiredly minutes ago, but the feeling of exhaustion had eventually faded away to become a gnawing grumble in the back of his mind. His lungs were filling and emptying harshly, the air, though cleaner than in Central, much colder than he was used to. He could feel his stomach churning, aching with red fire and he allowed it to coat his body, causing him to glow with a bloody haze.

The scent of Edward in his nose was only growing stronger as he ran into the mountains, long ago having left the main path. It was a confusing trail, the blonde's scent mixed in with the harsh, salty stench of long unbathed men and the sharp tang of fear.

He paused, only for a moment, as the trail suddenly stopped moving forward at a large, blank wall of rock. He sniffed the air angrily, commanding his nose to pick up and vague hint of a scent that he could use. His eyes flashed in rage as he glared around himself, moving his head this way and that near-desperately.

It was an excruciatingly long two minutes that he stood there before a familiar tang of metal wafted across his nose. Immediately, Naruto focused all his attention on that spot, moving forward as quickly as he could.

He was led to a large crack in the solid wall, a pile of false rocks hiding a secret tunnel dug straight into the mountain. The stench of sweat and fear was strongest here and Naruto dove in, uncaring of the consequences that made his very flesh ache, throbbing in unheeded pain as the chakra gathered on his body to form a long, insubstantial tail.

* * *

Colonel Mustang looked over the small troop that had been assembled before him. The five men and four women that the Northern HQ had allowed to go were standing at ease, appearing to be calmly awaiting orders even as the air filled with tension that was thick as lead. 

'Maybe "stone" would be more appropriate,' Mustang thought, though it was quickly shaken off. He looked to Havoc and Hawkeye on either end of the aligned troops, comforted by their familiar presence. He gave a mental cough to clear his unobstructed throat and spoke, "We are to head into the Briggs Mountains, focusing on the Cavern of the Winds. Lieutenant Colonel Rose will lead us through the mines and shall share my command. You are not to engage in combat unless commanded or coerced into self-defense. This is, above all, a rescue mission, so constantly be alert for Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"Sir!" The troop saluted and Lieutenant Colonel Rose stepped forward.

"Follow me this way."

* * *

The air was cold and it burned his overheated lungs every time he inhaled. His body gave off a bloody glow, illuminating the walls around him. His skull was pounding as a second chakra-tail was born, thrashing and causing the area around him to quake. Deep inside himself, he could feel the Fox pressing as much chakra as was possible through the seal, burning him from the inside out. Sweat poured from his body, drenching his clothes. The stench of men was strong and he snarled. 

'Fox,' he thought, knowing it would hear him.

'Not yet,' was the response, surprisingly soft and melodic, unlike the usual gruff snarling.

"Hey!" a sudden voice cried in alarm. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Naruto turned his eyes to see a tall, burly man, a lantern held high to illuminate the tunnel and Naruto himself. The boy's entire body burned as he extended his hands, twisting his fingers together in a familiar seal.

"What the fuck?!" the man finally noticed the vibrant red aura. He fumbled at his waist for something, but before he could reach it, Naruto screamed, voice echoing through the tunnel, "_Kage Bunshin no jutsu_!"

There was a flare of crimson light and there stood suddenly two boys, identical even down to the way chakra flickered over their bodies. One held out his hand and the other began to move so quickly, his hands were nothing but blurs, creating a concentrated ball of blinding light.

The man shielded his eyes, dropping the lantern with a clatter that vanished under the sound of Naruto's second cry.

"_Rasengan_!"

His scream of death wasn't even audible over the Fox's beautiful cry of, '_Destroy_!'

Naruto could feel his very bones aching, creaking under the power of the Fox's chakra and threatening to break. As his clone disappeared, he wiped away the blood that had splattered on his face and smeared it on the wall, as though a warning.

'Fox…'

'Not yet. We still have to find little Edward.'

"Ed-_kun_…"

Naruto began to run, unwilling to think about what could have happened to Edward while he wasn't there.

* * *

Havoc wrinkled his nose and adjusted his grip on his gun. He assumed the splatter of blood on the ground before him had, at once point, been a member of the gang they were looking for. The stench of blood in the air was strong and it was making his stomach churn. He wondered how it was for Colonel Mustang – he had been on the battlefield before, Havoc hadn't. 

Lieutenant Colonel Rose nudged what was left of a head with a frown. "He's been here at least half an hour."

"Do you know what happened to him?" asked one of the other men, looking a little queasy.

"It looks like he was burned before he exploded," Rose stated. "But this is no time for speculation, we need to find Edward before whatever did… _this_ gets to him first."

* * *

This didn't turn out as long as I'd hoped for… But I did write the majority of the next chapter today in school and it's prolly going to be about twice as long as this one when I finish it. And with that bit of hope, I don't own FMA or Naruto, so, till next time! 


	12. Demon

Naruto snarled. The scent trail he'd been following vanished again, disappearing beneath the stench of men. He could feel the entire mountain quaking under his feet, reverberating with the rage that blazed within him. The red haze that glazed his vision brought into focus every single detail, even with the extreme lack of light.

He was standing in a triangular-shaped cavern, taller than the previous tunnel he'd been traveling though, and wider as well. Three tunnels, including the one he'd just exited branched off, leading into utter darkness that even his demon-enhanced eyes couldn't penetrate. He could hear footsteps behind him, but they were familiar - Havoc's. Some rational corner of his mind wanted to wait for the Lieutenant, but the louder, more passionate part, demanded that he continue on.

'Waiting for Havoc-_dono_ will only slow us down,' the Fox whispered, though its tone was slightly uncertain.

'Fox...?'

'… Go.' the unease was gone. 'He will have brought others, so be careful that you don't harm them.'

Sweat dripped into Naruto's eyes and he wiped it away absently as his three chakra-tails lashed.

"The only ones who will pay are the bastards that took Edward."

Inside, the demon grinned with human teeth. Perfect.

'Yes, but will you have enough power?'

Naruto began to move toward one of the tunnels where the tang of metal was strongest. 'What are you talking about? I have more than enough to take care of these assholes.'

'But these men have weapons that you haven't been able to learn how to defend against. And I'm certain that they won't pull their shots like Hawkeye- _san_ does.'

Naruto frowned, not liking the way the conversation was going. Liquid trickled into his mouth and he suddenly realized that he was sweating blood. 'I'll just have you heal me.'

'I can only push a small amount of chakra through this seal, definitely not enough to cure any sort of mortal would. Even what I'm pushing through now is hardly even a fraction of what I've had before.'

Naruto's steps faltered, but he refused to pause out of fear of what would happen if he stopped. 'You want me to release the seal.'

'If we continue this way, you will die. Human bodies were not made to handle the pressure of a demon's magic. If you were to create me fourth tail, your blood would boil your heart in your chest, and then who would help Edward?'

Naruto trudged on, thinking. He could remember a time, hardly a month ago, when he would have been overjoyed to let the Kyuubi loose and lose his mind to the darkness that was sure to follow. He would have welcomed the destruction of whatever soul he had, but now...

Havoc cared for him. Had specifically told him that he cared if Naruto lived or died. And Alphonse seemed to rather enjoy his company. And then Edward...

'What will happen to me? What are you going to do to Edward? To anyone else?'

The Fox's bitter, sardonic laugh was negated as it came out sounding like tinkling bells. 'Moments ago you didn't care whether you lived or died and now you worry about what I'm going to do?' Before Naruto could comment, the Fox continued. 'I swear on the soul of my love that I will _never_ harm anyone you care about as long as they pose no threat to you.'

There was a man suddenly standing outside the entrance to a tunnel and shining a light that would have blinded Naruto had his pupils not contracted as quickly as they did.

"Holy shit! What the fuck are you doing here?!" the man cried, staggering back a pace. He pulled out a gun from his waist and fired, hitting a rock square where Naruto's heart would have been had the boy not activated a _Kawarimi no jutsu_ in time.

"What the hell's going on out there?!" A half-naked man emerged from the tunnel, holding the front of his pants together instead of zipping them up. "If you want your turn, then don't fire off your - argh!"

The man keeled over as the first's head exploded in a gush of red fire and gore. The body collapsed heavily, leaking all over the trembling ground and a bay - obviously no older than eighteen - stood there, glowing a freaky red. He gaped at the blood-drenched boy said seemingly to no one, "What do I have to do, Fox?"

He reached for the gun that the dead man once held as the boy clapped his hands together. A terrified though suddenly entered his head. 'Oh, crap - another Alchemist!'

"_Kage Bunshin no jutsu_!" Naruto screamed at the same time that the Fox howled a spell in its ancient language. The bars of the seal collapsed, turning bright red the moment they hit the den's boiling water. Chakra flowed through Naruto's body, burning his insides and scorching his chakra pathways raw. He screamed in pain as a single clone appeared beside him, dressed in his old clothes and dripping with bloody sweat.

Naruto forced himself not to collapse, watching as his clone suddenly morphed. He watched his own scrawny body lengthen and soften, clothes melting away and featured rearranging until they formed a young woman with sharp, foxy features and gloriously naked. From what had once been the clone's _hitai-ate_, a small, pear-shaped ball grew, glowing a peaceful yellow, and dropped to the bloody ground. The woman - the Kyuubi no Kitsune - extended her arms, grinning wickedly as she flexed her fingers. A chuckle began in her throat, oozing through her body until she trembled with laughter.

The man aimed his gun, stunned by her immobilizing beauty. His mind commanded his finger to pull the trigger, but he couldn't move. Her very nakedness seemed its own weapon, disarming any opponent that would have looked upon her. His breath caught in his throat as she suddenly looked at him with blood red eyes, pupils slit like a cat's.

"Dear child," she spoke, voice crisp and cool like the first steps on fresh snow, "I think we should gather information now."

The bloody boy took a staggering step forward, almost collapsing before the woman grabbed onto his shoulder. Red fire passed between them and the boy stood straighter, voce gravely as he demanded, "Where's Ed- _kun_?"

He continued to aim the gun, realizing belatedly that his hand was trembling, making a mockery of his bravado. "W-who?"

"He sounds like Hinata-_chan_," the woman mused as the boy's hands connected. Light flared on his body and a giant throwing star of red fire appeared, sinking into the man's leg.

"Where's Ed-_kun_?!"

The man screamed as his leg fell off, detached at the knee where the weapon had wounded him. There was the sound of his fellow men rushing in, only to be crushed by a flare of red expelled from the woman's palm.

"My child's mate," she demanded, looking at the scorched bodies that suddenly appeared. "Where is he?"

"The blonde," a man gasped, the only of the group whose vocal cords hadn't been burnt away. "He's in there."

Her eyes flashed and she looked to the boy. "Naruto?"

He held the chakra-shuriken, feeling the swell of power the Kyuubi lent him, soothing his injured insides. He hesitated, torn between vengeance and the need to find Edward. He could hear behind him the shouts of the military. They would stop him, he knew. Stop him and keep him from his mate, as Kyuubi had so put it.

He slammed the shuriken into the man's stomach, watching as the Fox touched the chakra to transform it into steel. The man was quivering, crying and coughing blood into his naked chest. Naruto knew he would live for minutes longer, but eventually his ruptured organs would bleed him dry. He noticed out of the corner of his eye the Fox pick up the glowing ball and, without even a shimmer of _jutsu_, a blue and red kimono draped over her body, drooping low over her chest and swishing around her thighs like liquid.

"Will you lead, child?" the Kyuubi asked, her smoldering eyes focused on him. "Or will you wait for Havoc- _dono_?"

Naruto pressed onwards, uncaring if he stepped on any of the burnt men in his way. Several, he knew, were already dead from lungs that had burst into flame upon the Kyuubi's attack. He wished that they were still alive, just so that they could feel pain.

"Havoc-_dono_ will stop us," he told the Fox. "I need to find Ed-_ kun_." He suddenly realized that his bones had stopped aching and his sweat was free from his own blood. "Let's go."

* * *

Edward was grateful when the men suddenly left. He wasn't sure that his body would have been able to take all the abuse they had promised him. He'd heard the gunshot and he'd heard the screams. He hated admitting it, even to himself, but he was scared. 

He was scared that they would come back. He was scared that he would die. He was scared that they would force Alphonse to have to continue on his own.

He was scared that he would never seen Naruto again.

He wished, not for the first time, that he had a god he could pray to, but he shook that though away. Even if there was a god somewhere, they were probably the reason that he was here. Tears welled in the back of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Even now he would never allow anyone to see him so far fallen.

His still-flesh arm and leg had long been forced into numbness, but he attempted to move them if only to try and prevent a need for amputation. A noise was suddenly at the door and Edward froze. Surely the men had dealt with whatever had happened and now, as he feared, they were back to cause him more pain.

* * *

"Naruto!" Colonel Mustang called loudly, stepping pat the mess of half-dead bodies. He could see the blonde ten yards away along with a tall woman dressed in Eastern clothing. He rubbed his fingertips together, feeling the rough flint sewn into the fabric grinding together. He hoped that he wouldn't have to use the gloves on Naruto. "Halt!" 

The woman looked up at him, delicately juggling a glowing ball between her hands. "We aren't moving forward anymore," she called back to him cheekily, "so there's no need for an ego trip."

Naruto's hands flew together and a ball of light formed between his palms, pulsating between deep red and bright blue. He screamed a single word and then hurled the light into a wooden door, flinging it off its hinges. Colonel Mustang stepped forward, fingers snapping automatically. No matter how much he liked the boy, he couldn't let him get away with when it was possible he had something to do with all of this.

The spear of fire Mustang had commanded flew at Naruto, but the woman's fingers connected and a wall of red appeared, harmlessly deflecting the flames away. She moved toward him a single step as Naruto bounded into the room with a cry of, "Edward!"

Naruto almost collapsed at the sight before him - Edward tied down to a broken-down bed, naked. His automail limbs had been removed and tossed away, and there were bruises and dried blood running up and down what remained of his body. His gold eyes were bloodshot and full of fear.

Naruto's hands clenched and he spoke softly, "Ed-kun...?"

"Naruto..." Edward croaked, voice harsh from lack of use.

The bloody blonde staggered forward. He could hear the Kyuubi speaking, but ignored her, instead choosing to remove the chains that bound Edward. He knew he was crying - what little he could see now that the demon-induced haze had left his vision was blurred.

Edward flinched away as Naruto moved to his arm, the action looking more unconscious than purposeful, but it still pained Naruto deeply. 'They did bad things to you, didn't they?' Naruto thought to himself. 'They did the same thing to you that I did to Sasuke...'

"Don't worry, Ed-_kun_," he spoke, trying to sound reassuring. "They won't hurt you again. I made sure of it."

He was suddenly aware of a presence behind him and he turned into the Kyuubi's side, feeling her wrap her arms around him. Chakra passed from her body to his and he heard her speaking, "Be careful with Edward - he's just been hurt." the she hugged him close and whispered to him, "Now sleep, child. We'll take care of Edward."

* * *

Wow, we're almost at the end. The rest of this story is all written up and it just waiting to be typed. I'm very pleased with myself, actually - this will be the second ever multi-chaptered thing I've completed.

I don't own Naruto nor FMA, so, till next time!


	13. Truths

She sat daintily in the room, eyeing the two men clad in military uniform standing before her cheerfully. She adjusted the fold of her _kimono_, accidentally on purpose revealing the deep slope of her cleavage and a teasing expanse of snowy white breast. She could feel the room heat up as she moved to smooth the skirt on her thighs, letting her fingers linger at the fragile hem.

One of the men, stocky and brunette with icy green eyes, leaned forward and peered at her from across the table. "Tell us your name again."

"It's much too long for most people to bother pronouncing," she responded flippantly. "But if you must call me something, call me 'Kedit'."

"And tell us again your relationship to Naruto."

"He is my nephew. I heard that he had gone missing, and I could only just get here."

"And how did you manage to end up within the mines?"

"I got lost. I wandered in there. I thought I could get out on my own."

"And what did you do when you saw Naruto?"

"I did what any decent person would have done in that situation. I helped him." Blood red eyes hardened. "Those men deserved what they got, if you ask me. I head about what they were doing to that poor boy in there."

The man closed his eyes momentarily. He sighed and then glanced over to his partner who nodded twice. Then he stood, motioning for Kedit to stand as well. "Follow me and I'll let you sign out of here. There will be someone waiting to take you to the hospital."

"Thank you very much," Kedit responded, standing in such a way that her kimono swished enticingly enough to almost reveal too much. She bowed low to show off her cleavage and began to move after the man, swishing her hips so that her skirt just barely ghosted across her flesh.

The man left in the room suddenly groaned and collapsed in Kedit's abandoned chair. He reached up and rubbed at the bridge of his nose, wincing as a sudden pain struck him directly behind his eyes. Then, just as suddenly as it came, the pain vanished and he looked up.

"Why am I in the interrogation room?" he asked no one in particular. He dropped his arm to rest across his knee and glanced at the steel chair he sat in. Usually they were ice cold, but this one was strangely warm.

* * *

Kedit reached into the belt of her _kimono_, withdrawing a handful of hair ties. The car she was in bounced slightly on the road, but she forced herself not to react. She just wasn't at all used to jumpy and jerky movements. In the driver's seat, Havoc watched her out of the corner of his eye. He was very curious about her, and questions were just leaping up, attempting to escape his throat, but he stayed silent. She had been interrogated already and he would get the repot soon enough. 

He glanced up at the street name long enough to remember the way from the precinct to the hospital and then went back to keeping half an eye on the woman. She was now working on separating her hair into nine locks, bounding them lightly in place with the bands she had brought out. Then, she would separate them into three more strands and begin to wind them together in long, fiery orange braids, tying them off just above the unusual-looking white tips.

So interested in her hair styling she seemed, that he was surprised when she spoke to him, saying, "You want to know what I said in there, don't you, Havoc-_dono_?"

Havoc adjusted the cigarette in his mouth with his tongue and replied nonchalantly, "I'll just read the report on it later."

She hummed softly, finishing off her last braid. She reached up and flicked the rearview mirror so that she could inspect her own reflection, but Havoc quickly turned it back to its proper position. "I'm sure you'll find it one hundred percent accurate."

Havoc couldn't help himself. "And if I don't?"

"Well, why wouldn't you?" she asked. "They had a truth-checker in there. Nothing I said was a lie to them."

Havoc took a drag on his cigarette, not speaking. Everything about her was controlled and precise. She knew exactly what she was saying and how others would hear it.

The hospital approached quickly and in silence the car was parked and the two walked inside, the cigarette being stubbed out before Havoc could receive any dirty looks from the staff. They were informed by a nurse where Naruto was and it wasn't long before they stood over the hospital bed. The blonde child was wrapped almost completely in bandages, an IV dripping into his arm and a heart monitor beeping lightly. His eyes were closed in a dreamless sleep and his chest rose and fell gently despite how it must have hurt.

"Poor child," Kedit spoke, gently caressing his scarred cheek, bringing Havoc's attention to the same whisker-marks that graced her own face. "It's not the worst he's faced, but I'm sure it hurts like it."

"What do you mean, 'not the worst'?" Havoc questioned, leaning against the wall. He could see that the other bed was occupied with Edward, some of the hospital's thickest blankets wrapped around him in a protective cocoon. His heart ached for the two boys, but he pushed that pain aside to fix a cool look on Kedit.

"Well, he has had all his bones from the waist down broken." She sighed and suddenly looked thoughtful. "I guess that perverted hermit how powerful he really is..." She shook her head quickly and looked at Havoc sweetly. "Don't you have to get back to work soon?"

"I'd much rather get some answers," Havoc stated pointedly. "Real ones."

Kedit laughed and tossed one of her nine braids over her shoulder. "You don't believe a word I said before, do you?"

"No," was his simple answer.

She gave a doleful look to the unconscious boys and then turned to face Havoc, crimson eyes shimmering with mirth. "Then what do you want to know? I promise I'll answer truthfully this time."

Havoc continued to watch her, eyes not flickering away even as Naruto shifted uneasily. He watched for any telltale flicker of her eyelids or twitch of her mouth to give away a lie as he asked, "What relation to Naruto are you?"

Kedit smiled and shook her head. "I figured that would be the first one. I am more of a, oh, acquaintance, than a relation. I know him and he knows of me, but there is no blood to connect us."

"Then how do you know him? And why does he only know of you?"

"Well," she stated as though it should have been obvious, "it's kind of hard not to know someone when you live with them for their entire life." One of Havoc's eyebrows rose and she continued, "And he only knows of me because we've never really sat down and talked."

Havoc's eyes closed and silence descended upon them. Kedit watched him for a moment before pulling a chair away from the wall and sitting in it next to Naruto's bed. She gave a bored sigh and reached into her sash again, this time pulling out a bear-shaped ball that put off a slight yellow glow. This she began to pass back and forth between her hands, sometimes tossing it playfully in the air and attempting to catch it on the top of her head. Havoc opened one eye and watched her intently, his gaze following the movement of the ball as it rose up and down, moved side to side, bounced in circles. The light from it would illuminate the room the higher it went, but when Kedit caught it again, the light died suddenly, trapped by her hands. He looked at the metal footboard of Naruto's bed, seeing the wooden chart listing all his injuries and the steps taken to heal him, as well as the reflection of Kedit's hips, thighs and tails.

Tails?

Both of Havoc's eyes were now focused intently on the footboard, watching Kedit's reflection intently. Every time she twitched one of her legs, the metal mirrored her movement; when her skirt hitched, the reflection showed the same amount of flesh; when her hand dipped low into her lap to catch her ball, a dainty hand appeared on the metal as well. But the tails... There were no tails on her body, but the metal showed nine red fox tails, the same color as her hair, wagging cheerfully.

"Well," Kedit sighed, tossing her head back to balance the ball on her nose. "Do you have anymore questions for me, Havoc-_dono_?"

Havoc pushed himself off the wall and approached Kedit warily. He kept one hand on his holster and responded, "I do actually."

"Well, then, what are they? I don't have all damn day, you know."

Havoc reached out and snatched the ball from her nose, simultaneously pulling his gun and pressing it to the back of her head. "What are you?"

He wasn't sure whether it was the loss of the ball or the cold metal on her skull, but Kedit immediately began to cry, tears pouring from her eyes. She stayed still, however, and began to whine softly, sounding like an injured dog as she begged, "Please, give it back to me!"

Havoc frowned, noticing that when she cried her face became much sharper and fox-like, her beauty vanishing to be replaced by animalistic features. "Give what back?" He dangled the ball in front of her face, cocking the gun at the same time. "This?"

"Yes!" She looked like she was about to reach for it, but Havoc pressed the gun harder, ignoring the slight twinge in his heart. "Please! I need my _hoshi-no-tama_..."

"I'll give it to you when you tell me what you are."

The words had barely left Havoc's mouth before she sputtered out, "I'm a Fox! A _kitsune_, a demon, a spirit, an _oni_, a what-have-you! My full name is Keditsumonne and I was born in the C-Forest as a Fire fox! Now, please, I beg you, give me back my hoshi-no-tama..." She hiccupped and gave a strangled sob. Her hands were clenched in her lap, ripping apart the hem of her _kimono_ as she fought not to move.

Havoc looked away from the tears and instead focused his attention on the ball. "What's a _hoshi-no-tama_?"

"It's my star ball," she whimpered. Her braids were becoming unraveled, strands of oddly colored hair escaping to flutter angrily about in the AC. "It holds my real body and my soul when I possess this body. I need it back!"

"And whose body have you stolen?" It was hard to remain angry when his heart felt like it was breaking.

"No one's! My child made this body for me and I took it! It was the only way - believe me!" Her voice cracked and she sobbed, begging again, "Please... I want it back..."

Havoc removed the gun and tossed the ball gently at Kedit who snatched it up and clung to it like her lifeline. Her sobbing stopped suddenly and her beauty returned. No longer did she look like a wounded animal, but she now resembled a young woman, shedding a few tears over a lost toy. Her hair smoothed down and, amazingly, winded back into the nine braids, becoming tighter and more even than the ones she herself had made in the car. Her breath still quivered and she looked up at him with one eye, red from her tears.

"Are you happy now?" she asked softly. "Do you have all your answers, Havoc-_dono_?"

"Not quite." He reholstered his gun and Kedit clutched her _hoshi-no-tama_ to her chest, baring her sharp teeth at him. "I won't take that from you again, here." He extended a hand that held a handkerchief. "You look like shit."

Kedit frowned and snatched the cloth away from him. "You have no tact at all when dealing with women, do you?"

"You just told me that you're not a woman," Havoc quipped. The woman - Fox? - glared at him and he felt himself smile despite it. Sitting heaped over in the chair like that, she was no threat.

"I am whatever I want to be - that's the way we Foxes are." She rubbed at her eyes and handed the handkerchief back. In the simple process of wiping away her tears, the redness had all vanished, leaving only the crimson of her irises, and light blue eye shadow that had appeared to gently grace her eyelids. The ball in her hand flared with light and she quickly hid it away into her sash. She took a calming breath and sat straighter, looking more like her previous regal self. "What are the rest of your questions?"

"What did you mean 'that body was made for you'? Who made it? How?" Havoc questioned.

Kedit smiled softly and her gaze fell on Naruto. "I mean what I said - Naruto made this body." She gently caressed one of the casts on Naruto's leg, being careful not to put too much pressure on it. "And he did well indeed. I think I might even be able to bleed in it without disappearing." Havoc opened his mouth, but Kedit quickly cut him off. "It's one of the techniques he knows - to create a solid body from air and shadows. He just happened to have a little, hm, help with this one."

"And whose help would that be?"

"Mine, of course." She smiled at him. "After all, since he was nice enough to let my spirit go, I might as well help him out a little."

"He 'let your spirit go'? How would he do that?"

Kedit looked away in a combination of shame and sheepishness. She ran her fingers through her white bangs and explained, "I kind of... ah, went insane, a while ago and tried to kill an entire village. But I was stopped before I could do much more than knock over a few businesses and I was separated from my physical body and my spirit was trapped inside Naruto when he was a newborn." She looked at Naruto and her eyes softened. "But I knew his mom and dad before my rampage and his dad - the one that sealed me - made it so that when I calmed down I would be able to get out on my own. By the time that happened, this poor child had no one to rely on or talk to at all. Everyone else hated him just because of me.

"So, I decided to stay with him. You know, so that he wouldn't be alone constantly. And by the time he made an actual friend that wouldn't hurt him, my actual body had been destroyed by my guilt, so I had nowhere to go." she looked up at Havoc. "I can't hear his thoughts or see what he sees or hear what he hears, but I do feel what he feels - both physical and emotional. It was one of my so-called 'punishments' - that I would always know when to heal him, but never why I had to unless he directly told me."

"You mentioned that this body was 'the only way'," Havoc said, not realizing that his voice had softened. "What did that mean?"

"It means what I said," Kedit responded in the same tone. "My body was destroyed, so I had to stay within Naruto. Over time, he became so used to me, that if I had tried to leave on my own, he would have had a mental breakdown. So, I had to get him riled enough - make him _want_ me out more than ever so that he would be strong enough to survive on his own. And when that time came, he made this form for me and I took it." She eyed Havoc warily. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to leave him completely alone now. I'm still going to be there for him."

"As to be expected." Havoc eyed the clock hanging over the window on the far wall. Kedit watched him grimace with a smirk.

"I asked you if you had to get back to work, now didn't I?"

"I just have one more question." Havoc hid a grin as Kedit looked confused. "You can feel what Naruto does, right? Does he feel like you do?"

Kedit eyed him warily. "Sometimes. When the feeling's strong enough. Why?"

Havoc smirked. "I was just wondering if he was the one with the crush on me, or if you were."

Kedit turned red and he laughed. He walked through the door and shut it just as she sputtered loudly, "I don't even know why I like you!"

Kedit collapsed back into her chair ungracefully, pouting at the door. "Stupid man," she grumbled to herself. She glanced sidelong at her child, a small smile forming her lips. Havoc was a very sweet man when dealing with Naruto – she could feel it even when the boy didn't want her to. "If Naruto likes you that much, of course I'm going to like you, Havoc."

Naruto shifted suddenly, giving a low groan. All of Kedit's attention suddenly shifted to him. She stood and bent over the child, placing a hand gently on his forehead and transferring a small amount of chakra into his body. His movements stilled and her hand moved to hover over his mouth, feeling for breath.

"Naruto?" she asked softly. "Are you alive?" Blue eyes fluttered open, glazed with exhaustion and confusion. She smiled at him softly. "Good morning, bratling."

Those blue eyes widened. Kedit was about to check to make sure his throat hadn't been too damaged when Naruto's mouth opened and demon-sharpened teeth dug into her hand.

"Damnit!" Kedit ripped her hand away, placing it gently in her own mouth. As expected, she was starting to bleed a mixture of bright red blood and dark violet chakra. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she screeched around her hand.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto demanded, glaring.

"I was going to make sure you weren't dead," Kedit growled, "but now I think I'm going to beat the shit out of you!"

"Just try it, Fox!" Naruto struggled to sit up, refusing to cry out in pain. Fortunately, or unfortunately, for him, Kedit pulled her hand from her mouth long enough to smack him in the chest, sending waves of agonizing pain straight to his brain.

"Try that shit again, and I'll break the plaster. Besides, nearly all your bones are fractured, if not broken. Sitting up like that would just fuck you over in the long run. And I wouldn't try any _jutsu_ for a while - all your chakra pathways are burnt pretty badly." Kedit leaned over Naruto so that she could press her nose to his and hiss, "Not so easy to release a demon, is it brat?"

Naruto glared, the familiar fire in his eyes back with full-force. Suddenly, he gasped and turned his head away, almost smacking Kedit in the face with his cheek. "Ed-kun!" he cried. "Where is he?"

Kedit rubbed the tip of her nose to make sure that it was still there. With a hand on her hip, she turned her attention to Naruto and said, "He's over in that bed there." She made a vague motion to the cocoon of blankets.

Naruto's wide eyes sought out the other bed. Tears fought to escape him, but he merely asked in a quivering voice, "Is he ok? Did those men...?"

Kedit softened. She laid her uninjured hand on Naruto's arm, feeling the roughness of the cast beneath her palm, and said, "He's been checked out. There was no actual penetration. It wasn't as bad as it could have been."

Naruto gave a strangled sob, relief allowing his tars to fall free. "Then they didn't go as far as I did..."

Kedit blinked. Her hand twitched, accidentally placing too much pressure on the cast and causing Naruto to flinch. "What the hell? When did you have sex with Edward?"

Had it been any other time, Naruto would have blushed at the implication, but he merely looked up at Kedit with watery eyes. "Sasuke. I... I raped him..." He gave a strangled sob as she continued to look at him in shock. "I came home and I, I..."

He was suddenly enveloped in a painful hug that was sure to crush whatever bones weren't already broken. He could hear the Kyuubi cooing softly, rocking him gently. "No, no... Oh, my poor kit, no." She buried her face in his hair and shushed him as he sobbed into her chest. "My poor, wounded child… You didn't rape anyone."

Naruto sniffled. "What are you talking about? I got drunk and forced myself on Sasuke."

"Look at me." Kedit grabbed Naruto's chin and forced him to face her. "Do you think I would have let alcohol into your body long enough to black out? You know I never let you get drunk anymore. That night I filtered out every drop of alcohol. There was something else - something I never encountered before - that you drank. I couldn't filter that quickly enough.

"Naruto, you have to trust me when I tell you - I felt it. You were the one raped. That Uchiha bastard forced _himself _on _you_."

Naruto stilled and for a moment she thought that he had passed out, but then he spoke in a soft voice she had never heard him use before, "Then... then I'm not a monster...?"

"No child, you're not." She hugged him tight and Naruto ignored the pain, instead relaxing into the rare warmth. "I'm sorry. You never told me you thought that way..."

* * *

Sorry this one took so long to get out. I had to rewrite everything from the beginning to, oh, about Naruto crying to get the overwhelming feeling of suck out of it. I hope this cleared up a bunch of stuff. 

Just the epilogue is left now.

I don't own Naruto or FMA. So, till next time!


	14. Hokage

"Naruto, your hair is pissing me off," Kedit growled, forcing another palmful of gel into the blonde strands that refused not to spike.

"My hair is a non-conformist - it won't conform to your rules," Naruto teased, earning himself a smack on the side of his head.

On Havoc's bed, Edward clutched a pillow and laughed, new automail shining in the daylight. It had been five months since the incident in the Briggs Mountains and all of Colonel Mustang's ass-kissing had finally convinced the military higher-ups that what he was planning wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"I don't know why you're trying to make him look so goofy," Edward said to Kedit, watching her adjust the lapels of her uniform, having given up on Naruto's hair. "I didn't look half as good as he does, and I got the position."

"_You_ also worked for it," Kedit responded, making sure her nine braids were tucked away properly. "We're just a pair of recommendations."

"Knock, knock," Havoc called, rapping lightly on his own door. "Is everyone decent?"

"Finally," Kedit sighed. "And if you even _think_ about making me un-decent, so help me... It took me half an hour to figure out how to put this damn thing on."

Havoc gave Kedit a swift kiss on her lips to quiet her before she could continue to rant. "Good thing you go it on, then, because it's time to go."

"Great." Kedit wiped her hands nervously on her shirt, suddenly making every wrinkle disappear. "Let's go, Naruto."

"Ok." Naruto cheerfully messed up his hair into spikes just to spite the Fox and gave Edward a quick kiss on the cheek. "Tell Alphonse-sensei that I finished off 'Othello' and I'm ready for 'Faust', ok?"

Edward kissed Naruto back lightly and nodded. "Will do."

Havoc took Kedit by the hand and led her and Naruto out of the apartment to a military-issued car. After clambering inside and taking off, Kedit made a few, nervous, last-minute adjustments to her appearance (making her pupils oval instead of the nervous slit, and making sure the white base of her braids didn't creep up to take over all her hair), stopping only when Havoc and Naruto made fun of her.

It was only when the Central HQ came into view that the seriousness of what was to happen seemed to his Naruto. He shifted nervously and tugged at the new fabric of his pants.

"Stop worrying, you two," Havoc told them from his spot in the driver's seat. "Everything's all worked out. All you have to do is show up, accept your letters, maybe show of your, ah, _alchemy_ and then you're done."

"And Naruto," Kedit chastised, attempting to flatten the boy's hair again, "that does not mean the _sexy no jutsu_, you hear? We don't need the leader of this country's military coming after us."

Naruto slapped her hand away, smirking despite himself. "I know that _baba-san_, so stop bitching."

"Who the hell are you calling '_baba-san_', bratling?! My birth certificate says I'm twenty-three."

"'Cause that's what you forced Colonel Mustang to put there."

Before a full-fledged fight could break out in his car, again, Havoc stopped and announced, "We're here, _children_. Hawkeye'll be waiting at the top for you. Good luck."

Kedit, having just slammed the door shut, squawked, "I thought you said we didn't need it!"

Havoc's response was to drive off to find a place to park the car.

"Your boyfriend's an asshole," Naruto teased, bounding up the long flight of stairs to the HQ.

"And your boyfriend is still taller than you!" Kedit called, chasing after him.

Hawkeye was indeed waiting just outside the door, looking as calm and collected as ever. She straightened the fabric of Naruto's uniform and brushed a bit of dust from Kedit's shoulder, informing them smartly, "You are to sit before the Führer. Do not speak unless it is to answer his questions. He will hand you two letters - you are not to open them there - and then Colonel Mustang will lead you out. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Naruto and Kedit chorused.

"Good. Follow me." She turned and began to walk briskly toward the doors, hearing the other two scrambling behind her. The only pause she offered was right before the main doors so that the two could collect themselves. Then, with a final reprimanding glance, she pushed open the door to reveal a large room, lit only by a single lamp, and occupied only by the Führer Bradley and Colonel Mustang.

"Sit," Bradley instructed, motioning to two golden chairs that seemed to glow in the darkness.

Kedit lightly pushed the small of Naruto's back, urging him in first. The blonde walked in side, the Fox following closely, and neither even so much as flinched when the door was shut with a slam.

"I trust that I was not misinformed when I was told you two could perform the same sort of alchemy that our Fullmetal can, correct?"

"No, sir," Kedit and Naruto replied in unison.

"Then, may I have an example?" Bradley motioned before him and Naruto stood, internally commending himself for not jumping.

He took a breath and brought his hands together, fingers forming the necessary seals and he breathed to himself, "_ Rasengan_."

Blue light filled between his palms, pure chakra contained within a swirling sphere. He held the ball up for inspection before collapsing it at Bradley's nod.

The Führer looked at Kedit. "And you?"

Naruto sat as Kedit stood. She strode forward to steps and clapped her hands to give the impression she was performing alchemy. She then dropped to her knees and pressed her hands to the floor. Forcing a flare of red, she used her inherent demon magic to pull forth the stone and marble into an intricately detailed statue of a raccoon fighting a fox. Bradley, whose eyes had narrowed minutely at the red flash, nodded and Kedit returned the floor to normal, remembering just barely to clap her hands.

The silence was oppressive as Kedit returned to her seat, waiting patiently for the verdict. Naruto's fingers twitched minutely and he quickly forced himself to still. Even Colonel Mustang seemed nervous, though there was nothing about him to reveal it.

Bradley sat for a long time with his eyes closed, hands clasped together before him. Kedit had the sudden urge to get up and poke him to see if he was still alive, but she forced herself to stay in the chair.

Finally, after several long, tense minutes, Fuhrer Bradley stood, a pair of thick manila envelopes suddenly in his hands. "It seems that Colonel Mustang was correct in recommending you two. I hope your new names continue to fit you two as they have just now."

Kedit and Naruto stood and stepped forward, wordlessly accepting their envelopes. Colonel Mustang strode over to stand next to them and, as Bradley saluted, the trio returned the motion.

"Dismissed," was all Bradley had to say as he took his seat again to make Mustang usher the two new alchemists out the door.

Hawkeye looked up from where she stood at ease, her eyes softening as she watched Kedit relax and Naruto tear into his envelope. The duo, minus Mustang, looked much more relaxed and happier than she remembered from that morning. The Colonel, though, looked worried about something.

Naruto was already scanning the cream-colored paper, ignoring everything else and drinking in the handwritten words penned in slick black ink, as Kedit just began to open her own envelope.

As the Fox was glancing over her letter and nodding to herself, Naruto paused, looking at the words with eyes slowly widening.

Folding up her letter and tucking it away in her pocket, Kedit looked at him questioningly. "What's wrong?"

A chuckle began in Naruto's throat, moving quickly and becoming a full-fledged roar of laugher. He held up his letter to proudly show Kedit and told her, "I always knew I'd be _Hokage_ one day!"

Kedit's eyes softened as she looked at the words before her.

"We give the name Fire Shadow Alchemist to thy Naruto Uzumaki."

END

* * *

This took me forever to find that one part with the letter. That is my excuse for not having this out sooner.

Wow, I can't believe I finished this thing. And it's only taken me, what, three years? Thank you to all my loyal readers who put up with me being lazy and busy and confused all throughout this thing. I promise I'll write the sequel to this before the end of this year!

Well, for the final disclaimer of this fic, I don't own FMA or Naruto. See you at the sequel!


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